God is meant to be first in our lives. In the first of the
10 commandments God says this: “I, the Lord, am your God. You shall have no
other gods before me.”
The Lord Jesus in the Gospels teaches to ‘Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is
the first and greatest commandment.’”
What does it mean to put God first? To put anything first in
life is to hold something as a priority. We can determine our priorities based
on where we devote most of our time and energy. Someone who prioritizes their
job spends most of their day working or thinking about work. Someone who
prioritizes family will frequently be engaged with family activities.
Now putting God first doesn’t mean that if we work 8 hours,
we have to set an additional 9 hours for prayer. Rather, the key is focus,
intention, mindfulness, obedience, and prayer. St. Paul says “Whether you eat
or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” At work, we need
to bring God into our work, when cooking or eating or doing household chores,
we need to do so prayerfully, with the desire to glorify God in them.
And of course, we need to strive to keep God’s commandments “If
you love me, keep my commands.”
During Lent, as the Holy Father says, we seek to restore God’s
primacy through our Lenten observances. This means being more intentional of
our faith amidst our normal and necessary activities. And also stripping
ourselves of those relationships, behaviors, and activities that do not bring
Him honor. Finally, we fast from non-essentials in order to feast on what is
most essential.
Fasting tests whether we value something over our
relationship with God. We fast from food, electronics, or specific activities,
all in an effort reprioritize God. If God is to be our priority or first love,
we have to be willing to make sacrifices to ensure this.
May the Holy Spirit assist us in being generous and courageous
in seeking this realignment of priorities for the glory of God and salvation of
souls.
That this season of Lent may be a time of profound renewal
for our parish and the Church, that all families will recommit themselves to
fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness, and that this
Lent we will be faithful to fasting and to all the ways that the Lord
sanctifies us.
For those preparing to enter the Church at Easter: that they
will be profoundly blessed in their preparation for full initiation into the
Body of Christ.
For
all those impacted by the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, for the
victims of the earthquakes in Turkey, for the defense of our nation from all
threats foreign and domestic, for those who struggle because of addiction,
mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, inclement weather, or ongoing
trials of any kind.
For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in
purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and
for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn
with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers
in the divine mystery may never be left without your assistance. Through Christ
our Lord.
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