Why 'Less Noise More, Love' (Come and See) and 'Don't Get Left out Forever' (Ezercizzi)?

The themes of our two major events for this Lent, the 'Come and See' open Lenten retreat and the Ezercizzi Lenten sermons are very relevant to our lives. Truth is not something invented but something given and discovered. As Catholic Christians we are confident  of the truth that God has revealed to us and so we do not drift with the prevailing opinions when they contradict what faith has enabled us to discover. 

Read the following excerpt from John Paul's encyclical carefully. It is foundational to everything:

'there exists a knowledge which is peculiar to faith, surpassing the knowledge proper to human reason, which nevertheless by its nature can discover the Creator. This knowledge expresses a truth based upon the very fact of God who reveals himself, a truth which is most certain, since God neither deceives nor wishes to deceive' (Fides et Ratio pgh. 7)

What truth does God reveal to us? He desires to make Himself known and has done this perfectly through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and through his Death and Resurrection. It is in this way we are saved, that is we are reconciled with God and brought into a personal relationship with Him. Of course this needs an initial as well as a continued response from our part - a response of love in repentance and prayer which manifested concretely in righteous living and the love we show others around us.

For this to become a reality we need to discover the gift God has given us by hearing Him speak to the depths of our hearts through His Word, His Spirit and His Church. He who attracted and drew kings, princes, politicians, paupers, the old and the young, the learned and unlearned, the religious and the pagan …He is the same God who speaks the truth to me in love and calls me to respond to Him. The problem is that many are not even listening let alone heeding.

So we need less noise - the cacophony of sounds, desires, projects and plans which leaves us breathless, need to be silenced if but for a while. In this way we make room for  'more love',  another way of saying are making room for God and His Word. Come and See and indeed any retreat gives us this unique opportunity of quietening down and listening to God's Spirit:

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength'  Is. 30:15

Our free response is vital. We need to overcome the fear of listening to what our deeps heart is saying and what God is telling us, to turn to Him in sincerity. Of the two inevitable things of life-  taxes and death - the latter is even more certain than the former, and that is saying something! We are all on the road to eternity. However the Word of God makes it abundantly clear that not all will share the same destiny. Heaven and Hell are realties. We have been created for heaven, to enjoy the eternal life God gives us now for all eternity  where not only 'there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain' Rev 21:4 but where we will dwell in expressible joy with God Himself. However the alternative remains very real. With the frightening freedom we have as creatures created in the image of God, we can choose to reject this gift by living in sin, remaining indifferent and living life for ourselves.

Today one hardly hears sermons about heaven, hell, judgment and so on. The Ezercizzi will be a timely reminder for us to ensure that we need to live our lives in such a way that we don't risk getting left our forever. Our lives need to be lived with the eternal perspective always in focus. As Bishop Fulton Sheen puts it:

As soon as we cease to think about the next world we become ineffective in this one. It is only when we aim at heaven that this world is thrown in.

Truth is not invented, truth of God is discovered by reason and moreover and more perfectly by faith. St Augustine said: I have met many who wanted to deceive but none who wanted to be deceived.' God our Father wants all men to come to knowledge of the truth and be saved (1 Tim 2:4) If something is true, then it must be true for all people and at all times (Fides et Ratio, pgh 27). The themes of this year's major lenten events promise to give us a good dose of God's wonderful truth which promises to set us free (John 8:32).