SPIRITUAL FITNESS PLAN FOR LENT.
(An exercise program to enhance your spiritual life)
Holy Week – Beginning April 18, 2011
‘Without the resurrection what I believe is in vain’, words of Canada’s former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, as quoted by Margaret Trudeau in her most recent book ‘Changing my Mind’.
He was expressing the sentiments and belief of St. Paul, who while answering the questions raised by the Christians in Corinth (1 Corinthians, chapter 15) about the authenticity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, said, ‘if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith’. Paul goes on to conclude that Jesus DID come back to life from the dead and the Christian Faith is founded on His Resurrection.
In his 2011 Holy Week-Easter message, Archbishop Fred Hiltz – Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada – expressed it this way, when he wrote, ‘we place our hope and our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross, rising from the grave, drawing near to His disciples, making Himself known to them in the breaking of the bread and the opening of the scriptures’.
Keeping our Lenten theme intact, we can see what Jesus Christ did GIVE UP (His divinity) …. what He did TAKE UP (our humanity) … and how He does HELP us in living and coping with human situations and assures us of our place in the eternal realms of life.
Here are Holy Week daily readings from John’s Gospel.
Monday April 18–John 19:1-22
Tuesday April 19– John 19:23-42
Wednesday April 20– John 20:1-18
Thursday April 21 – John 20:19-31
Friday April 22– John 21:1-14
Saturday April 23– John 21:15-25
There are six suggested spiritual exercises for a HOLY LENT.
Here are this week’s exercises.
1. READING AND MEDITATING ON GOD’S WORDS – this week and the days after Easter Sunday, spend time reading the accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus in all 4 gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
2. ALMS GIVING – we can serve others by giving our alms (gifts) of TIME, TALENT and TREASURE. What ‘alms’ will you give this Lent?
3. FASTING – maybe you have done this already during Lent. If not, start today. Some years ago during Lent, one day a week, some friends and I ate breakfast and then only drank water or juices until the evening meal ... may not sound like much, but we found it meaningful.
4. PRAYER – Each day, spend at least 5 minutes in prayer. Pray with your paper, newscast, internet browsing, walking, riding …wherever you encounter people and their needs.
5. PENITENCE – confess your sins confident in God’s forgiveness and make amends for any wrong-doing.
6. SELF EXAMINATION – look at yourself, your relationship with God and your relationships with other people. Make improvements as required.
Thank you for your participation and feedback on our SPIRITUAL FITNESS PLAN FOR LENT 2011.
May the Joy and Alleluias of Easter ring constantly in your lives throughout the coming days, or as a friend liked to say, ‘every day is a mini Easter’.
(An exercise program to enhance your spiritual life)
Holy Week – Beginning April 18, 2011
‘Without the resurrection what I believe is in vain’, words of Canada’s former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, as quoted by Margaret Trudeau in her most recent book ‘Changing my Mind’.
He was expressing the sentiments and belief of St. Paul, who while answering the questions raised by the Christians in Corinth (1 Corinthians, chapter 15) about the authenticity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, said, ‘if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith’. Paul goes on to conclude that Jesus DID come back to life from the dead and the Christian Faith is founded on His Resurrection.
In his 2011 Holy Week-Easter message, Archbishop Fred Hiltz – Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada – expressed it this way, when he wrote, ‘we place our hope and our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross, rising from the grave, drawing near to His disciples, making Himself known to them in the breaking of the bread and the opening of the scriptures’.
Keeping our Lenten theme intact, we can see what Jesus Christ did GIVE UP (His divinity) …. what He did TAKE UP (our humanity) … and how He does HELP us in living and coping with human situations and assures us of our place in the eternal realms of life.
Here are Holy Week daily readings from John’s Gospel.
Monday April 18–John 19:1-22
Tuesday April 19– John 19:23-42
Wednesday April 20– John 20:1-18
Thursday April 21 – John 20:19-31
Friday April 22– John 21:1-14
Saturday April 23– John 21:15-25
There are six suggested spiritual exercises for a HOLY LENT.
Here are this week’s exercises.
1. READING AND MEDITATING ON GOD’S WORDS – this week and the days after Easter Sunday, spend time reading the accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus in all 4 gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
2. ALMS GIVING – we can serve others by giving our alms (gifts) of TIME, TALENT and TREASURE. What ‘alms’ will you give this Lent?
3. FASTING – maybe you have done this already during Lent. If not, start today. Some years ago during Lent, one day a week, some friends and I ate breakfast and then only drank water or juices until the evening meal ... may not sound like much, but we found it meaningful.
4. PRAYER – Each day, spend at least 5 minutes in prayer. Pray with your paper, newscast, internet browsing, walking, riding …wherever you encounter people and their needs.
5. PENITENCE – confess your sins confident in God’s forgiveness and make amends for any wrong-doing.
6. SELF EXAMINATION – look at yourself, your relationship with God and your relationships with other people. Make improvements as required.
Thank you for your participation and feedback on our SPIRITUAL FITNESS PLAN FOR LENT 2011.
May the Joy and Alleluias of Easter ring constantly in your lives throughout the coming days, or as a friend liked to say, ‘every day is a mini Easter’.
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