Filled with Joy

Written by Karen Thomas on the Fifth Sunday of Lent

As I begin the fifth week of Lent I must resist the temptation to abandon the desert and leap straight to Easter Sunday.  I am foolishly lulled into the belief that I have done my due diligence of praying, fasting, and almsgiving.  Surrounded by a fast paced culture, I mistakenly tell myself that certainly four weeks is more than enough time to focus on my interior life and outward actions.  

Fortunately, the wisdom of God through the scriptures calls me back to the importance of staying with Him in this fifth week and not abandoning the desert too quickly.  The psalm this week calls me to dig deep to acknowledge where the Lord has been working in my life this Lent and this past year.  As I uncover the Lord’s presence in my life, I am encouraged to make sense of both the blessings and the challenges.  In dissecting the challenges in my life the prophet Isaiah’s words, “see, I am doing something new!” bring me great comfort.  I know that if I hold on tight to the Lord during the challenges he will bring me out of captivity and into the light.  As I am brought into the light and have the opportunity to laugh and rejoice, I rest in the promise of the resurrection and the knowledge that the light always overcomes the darkness.  

As I challenge myself to stay with the Lord in this fifth week of Lent, I am grateful for the companionship of others in the Church who are also on this journey.  As I acknowledge the great things the Lord has done for me, I am also called to acknowledge what he has done for us as a community.  Despite all of the pain and suffering  in our world, the Lord is indeed doing great things for all of us.  In honestly sharing our stories of challenge and joy as a community we can more fully see how the Lord is working in the world.  As we linger together in the desert for a few more days, we do so knowing that soon we will share in the joy of the resurrection.

Questions for Reflection:
What Lenten commitment do you need to re-engage this fifth week of Lent?
Who do you share your joy with?  How can you encourage others to recognize the good things that the Lord has done for them?

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Karen Thomas
Karen is a native of Southeast Michigan and a graduate of the University of Michigan.  Prior to her work at SMSP, she served and worked with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, completed an MA in Pastoral Ministry at Marygrove College in Detroit, and was trained in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd method of religious education.  She serves as the Campus Minister for Family Faith Formation and lives in Ann Arbor with her husband Mike and two daughters.
Email: [email protected]