Flora Calderon believes the season of Lent is a time to pause and reflect on the blessings God has granted us.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in he good news.” — Mark 1:15, NRSV
In this season of Lent, we pause and reflect on the blessings God has granted us. We think of the deserts we have journeyed through and how God, even when we did not notice it, has been with us.
Noticing and rejoicing in God’s presence can be hard to do when we are so cognizant of all that is not well around us. Yet our daily reflections invite us to approach this season with a perspective of hope — a hope that is grounded in our knowledge of God’s love for us and for His creation. It is a hope that is made real through our actions in service to others, even as we take care of ourselves.
We are encouraged to be mindful of our call to be Kingdom builders, to be agents of transformation, to put our faith into action. I believe this is possible when we first look at ourselves and recognize our own role in perpetuating injustice. Lent offers us a special invitation to repent — to change our ways and to be freed to act as God’s partners to bring hope into a world of despair.
We do this when we tune in to the voices and the sights we so easily ignore. We are blessed to work in a ministry that provides us with the opportunity to be in solidarity with sisters and brothers in contexts different from ours. Each time we participate in a Habitat for Humanity event and we witness the gratitude, the satisfaction, the happiness and the hope in the eyes of partner families, volunteers and donors, we get a glimpse of a world that shows us what God’s shalom is all about. In this season of preparation to celebrate the Resurrection, let us renew our commitment to build homes, communities and hope.
Prayer
God of our salvation, guide us through this season that we may open ourselves to be a blessing by recognizing that in Jesus Christ Your reign has begun. We open ourselves to repent and to believe. We respond to God’s gift of love and faith by being in solidarity with our sisters and brothers through Habitat’s ministry around the world. May the prayer discipline of these 40 days make us hunger for the feast we will celebrate on Easter and beyond. Amen.
Click here to download all the reflections and prayers from the Habitat world during the 40 days of Lent
