Denver Catholic

2 FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 10, 2017 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE FEB. 25: Transitional diaconate ordination, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (10 a.m.) FEB. 26: Mass and Confi rmation, St. Mary Parish, Greeley (3 p.m.) MAR. 4: Rite of election (10 a.m. and 12 p.m.), Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception; Vigil Praise, Christ the King Chapel, John Paul II Center (7 p.m.) MAR. 5: Mass with Rite of Election (10:30 a.m.); Rite of Election (2:30 p.m.) Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception MAR. 10: All School Mass, Regis Jesuit High School, Aurora (10 a.m.) Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January. Denver Catholic is printed by Prairie Mountain Publishing, LLC in Boulder. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. EDITORIAL: 303-722-4687 or denvercatholic@archden.org. ADVERTISING: 303-715-3253 or denvercatholicads@archden.org. CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or circulation@archden.org. General Manager KARNA SWANSON Director ANDREW WRIGHT Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL @ArchbishopDen Feb. 9 #ChristInTheCity #Denver Missionaries-Blessing of new headquarters #JoyoftheGospel for the #homeless Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila poses with Christ in the City missionaries during the blessing of their new headquarters Feb. 9. PHOTO BY JOE LUGUE Encounter God's Word in the desert W e are about to begin Lent, the solemn season in which the Church unites herself to what the Catechism calls "the mystery of Jesus in the desert" (No. 540). As we approach this season of preparation, I would like to draw your attention to Pope Francis' advice in his Lenten message to immerse yourself in God's word, which sus- tains us in times of temptation and helps us hear God's voice more clearly. In his Tractates on the First Letter of John, St. Augustine provides us with an analogy that is helpful for understanding how God works in des- olate times. He writes, "Suppose you are going to fi ll some holder or con- tainer, and you know you will be given a large amount. Then you set about stretching your sack or wineskin or whatever it is. Why? Because you know the quantity you will have to put in it and your eyes tell you there is not enough room. By stretching it, therefore, you increase the capacity of the sack, and this is how God deals with us. Simply by making us wait, he increases our desire, which in turn enlarges the capacity of our soul, making it able to receive what is to be given to us" (emphasis added). The spiritual life is about open- ing our hearts to receive the love, compassion and mercy of the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When we encounter trials in our spiritual life, God is enlarging the capacity of our hearts and souls to receive more. After Jesus had spent 40 days and nights fasting and pray- ing in the desert, he responded to Satan's temptations by placing his trust in God the Father, underscoring his commitment with Scripture. The Evil One tried three ways to undermine his trust in the Father, and he often uses these same temptations on us. First, he appealed to Jesus' appetites. When that didn't work, Satan tried to sow doubt about the Father's care for him. And fi nally, he tried to lure him with promises of power and splendor. With each temp- tation, Jesus recalled the Scriptures: "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God"; "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test"; and "The Lord, your God, shall you wor- ship and him alone shall you serve" (Cf. Mt 4:4-10). Using these Scripture passages, Jesus reaš rmed his trust in God the Father, who had provided for him in the desert and had done so from eternity. Pope Francis also recounts this reality in his 2017 Lenten message, which focuses on the Gospel story of the poor man Lazarus. This impover- ished man was ignored by a rich man, even though he was lying prostrate on the rich man's doorstep because of weakness and hunger. The Holy Father emphasizes that when we open our hearts to God's word, we also open our hearts to our neighbor, as we see Jesus in every human being no matter what their condition. For the rich man, he says, "the root of all his ills was the failure to heed God's word" (Lenten message 2017). During Lent, we commit to increased prayer, fasting and alms- giving, but this year, I encourage you to also steep yourself in God's word. As we saw in the desert and read in the book of Hebrews, God's word is "living and e¡ ective ... and able to discern refl ections and thoughts of the heart" (Heb 4:12). Through God's word we are able to recognize others as a gift and remain grounded in the fact that we rely on God for every breath, for every day that we are alive and for the gift of eternal life. I encourage you to set aside 15 minutes of quiet prayer with one or two of the Gospels during the course of Lent. Once you have chosen the Gospel you want to read, read a chap- ter a day. Begin with prayer to the Holy Spirit, pray for receptivity to the Word, for understanding, knowledge and wisdom and then ask the Lord to let the Word speak to your heart. Following these preparations, prayer- fully read the chapter. Once you are fi nished, listen for where the Word moved your heart. The more fi rmly our lives are grounded in Scripture, the more fully will we begin to resemble the beloved Son who was and is the living Word made fl esh. As Jesus relied upon the promises of the Father to combat the temptations of the Enemy, we too, may rest with confi dence in God's provision for us. And when we fi nd ourselves in diš cult moments, when the wineskins of our hearts and souls are stretched beyond the point of comfort, we can be confi dent in his plan for our lives, recalling that when he asks much, it is because he intends to give much more. Through your encounter with God's word this Lent, may God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit enliven your hearts and strengthen you in faith, helping you seek the will of the Father, and bringing you to the celebration of the Resurrection with greater joy. When we open our hearts to God's word, we also open our hearts to our neighbor." MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA "

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