When we hear the word masterpiece, what comes to mind are the great painters, sculptors, and authors all through the ages but never the LORD. He is the CREATOR of all the above.

Welcome to All Good Things! And welcome to Franciscan Month! Growing up in Clifton, New Jersey, we had a lovely statue of St. Francis near a birdbath in the garden. As a result, I always thought of Francis as ‘The Birdbath Saint.’ When becoming a Franciscan Brother of Brooklyn in my late 40s, I discovered there is much more to St. Francis than protecting gardens. His amazing story of conversion of heart – constantly turning away from sin toward God – is incredibly inspiring. His virtues outlined in the Peace Prayer – love, faith, hope, giving – are desperately needed to transform the inclination to hate and divide so prevalent in our polarized world into Franciscan Peace and Love.

All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead. And God has reserved for his children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will make sure that you get there safely to receive it because you are trusting him. It will be yours in that coming last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here.

When Pilate saw that he could not persuade the crowd to change its mind, he released Barabbas to them and had Jesus publicly whipped, which was the normal prelude to crucifixion. Then he had Jesus led away to be crucified. The soldiers took Him into the headquarters of the governor; and the rest of the soldiers in the detachment gathered there, hundreds of them. They put a purple robe on Him and made a crown of thorns that they forced onto His head, and they began to cry out in mock salute.

Before the Passover festival began, Jesus was keenly aware that His hour had come to depart from this world and to return to the Father. From beginning to end, Jesus’ days were marked by His love for His people. Before Jesus and His disciples gathered for dinner, the adversary filled Judas Iscariot’s heart with plans of deceit and betrayal. Jesus, knowing that He had come from God and was going away to God, stood up from dinner and removed His outer garments. He then wrapped Himself in a towel, poured water in a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with His towel.

God has worked many wonders and blessings in my life. From the beginning of my birth, I know the Lord was with me. My mother struggled with child-bearing issues, resulting in the loss of several unborn children of hers. She's endured so much, and while her pregnancy with me was also problematic, God blessed my family, and I was able to be born relatively unharmed. I had my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck, and if I had remained in her any longer, I would not be alive. With this being the introduction of my life, I've always had a strong belief and reliance on my Heavenly Father.

During this Lent, through prayer, charity and fasting, let us seek to free ourselves from our slavery to sin and everything in the world that distances us from God. In this Lent, we must also forgive and ask forgiveness for our offenses.

During Lent, we are continually invited to enter into the Lord’s passion, to walk with Him from Gethsemane to Calvary, as we contemplate the infinite depths of His merciful love. Through weekly fasting, reflecting on Christ’s seven last words, and participating in Stations of the Cross, we prayerfully place ourselves in the narratives that round out the Gospels. Perhaps you imagine yourself as Mary Magdalene, sitting at the foot of the cross, or Veronica, wiping the battered face of Jesus. Or perhaps you ponder what it was like to help Jesus carry the cross, as Simon did, or to prepare the Lord’s body for burial like Nicodemus. We are called, during this season, to spiritually enter into the Lord’s suffering. But do we let Him into ours?

Words matter. For those of us who work in academia, we know this to be true, as words influence how we convey our ideas and our research. For those of us that work in student support services, we know that words have the power to motivate a struggling student or bring a sense of calm to a student experiencing anxiety. In pastoral care, words have the power to heal, to reconcile, and to forgive. For those of us in administrative leadership, we know that a word well-chosen has the power to unite a group of people in pursuit of a common cause. We all have experiences where we’ve rejoiced at the celebration of finding just the right word. True, also, haven’t we all had the experience of lamenting upon the use of the wrong word, at the absolutely wrong time?

Growing up as a child I knew about Jesus, but I never really understood him. Many people would tell me that he loved me and that he was always with me, but I never really believed it. Throughout my life up until now, I would say that I knew of Jesus, but I never felt that connection with him. There was a time however when I was 12 that I felt the peace and Love of Jesus. Sadly, this bliss did not last long as I continued on with my life only focusing on what I wanted. As my life started to reach difficult seasons, I depended solely on myself. My motto was, “It’s not anyone’s problem but my own,” and I strongly believed that I could get through anything because of the person I was.