Perth Archdiocesan Centre for Life, Marriage and Family (CLMF) has this year launched a Lenten Reflection Journal to help Perth Catholics across the Archdiocese of Perth prepare themselves for the season of Lent.
CLMF Director Derek Boylen, Life Services Manager Bronia Karniewicz and Project Officer Sarah Paverd-Joyce first published a Lenten Journal last year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the now St (Pope) John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel Of Life).
Following the earlier successful Advent and Lent Journals produced by the CLMF, the journal features daily Mass readings, accompanied by questions to encourage readers to think about how they can prepare for Easter in their personal life, family, and community.
The journal also includes weekly Sunday reflections from Australian spiritual leaders, including Chair of the Australian Catholic Life, Marriage and Family Council, Anna Krohn, Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral Perth Fr Sean Fernandez and a foreword by Perth Archbishop and Chair of the Plenary Council, Timothy Costelloe SDB.
“It is my hope that this journal will help you grow closer to God; to be challenged by God, and for you to allow God to call you into being an ever more faithful witness of the Gospel in your home and community life,” Archbishop Costelloe SDB said.
Speaking in his recent Lenten Pastoral Letter, Archbishop Costelle said that when our prayer is genuine it is anything but a turning-in on ourselves.
“On the contrary, it is an active and deliberate opening of ourselves to God. We consciously acknowledge that we are in God’s presence and like the prophets and psalmists of old we say to God, ‘Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will’ (Psalm 40:7) and ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening’ (1 Samuel 3:10).
And then we wait in trusting faith, knowing that God will speak to us in that moment of prayer or at some other time and in some other way once the moment of prayer has passed.”
Archbishop Costelloe continued saying that perhaps, like Mary the Mother of the Lord, we ponder over the events of our life (Luke 2:19), asking the Lord to help us recognise his presence and guiding hand in our life’s journey.
“Or perhaps like Saint Peter, who as he walked across the water towards Jesus took his eyes off the Lord for a moment and began to sink (see Matthew 14:30), we cry out in fear and in faith, ‘Lord, save me, I am going under’.
“Whatever form our prayer takes at any particular moment, the secret is this: we have shifted our gaze from ourselves to God. We are looking up and looking out instead of looking down, and just as he did for Peter, Jesus stretches out his hand and lifts us up.”
Included in the Journals are supplementary sections, aimed at deepening our understanding and experience of different forms of prayer, including Lectio Divina and the Stations of the Cross.
Speaking to The Record ahead of the release of the Journal, Mr Boylen said Lent calls us to unite our suffering with the suffering of Christ, and discover the kind of faith communities, homes, and families that God is calling us to become.
“Taking time for deep reflection can help us gain new perspectives, learn to recognise and appreciate God’s presence in our lives, and create an ongoing dialogue with Jesus,” Mr Boylen said.
CLMF hopes this resource leads people into a deeper reflection of their dignity and the incomparable worth of every human person as they journey with Christ to the Cross and Salvation.
CLMF 2021 Lenten Journals are available for purchase online for $15 (inclusive of GST) plus postage here: https://CLMFjournal.ecwid.com/.
To know more information and bulk orders, email: lifeservices.clmf@perthcatholic.org.au or call (08) 9241 5000.