Halfway through Lent - Are You Walking the Camino Del Rey?

God always seeks out His children.  Like the Shepherd who searches for the lost sheep, God seeks to bring us closer to Him.  God might be silent so that we may hear.  God might give us signs of His Love so that we may believe.  God might bind us close in His Love, so that we do not stray.  God might remind us of our sinfulness so that we may be saved.  God might make us uncomfortable as He shapes us in the Flames of His Unending Love.  God might pull back so that we may learn to trust.  God, the Lord of Creation, does what He needs to do so that when time has ended, we will share heaven with Him.

Lent is a time in which we can, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, grow closer to God.  As we have walked this Camino del Rey, we have improved our prayer lives, we have fasted, and we have given alms.  Some of us have been strict in our adherence to these practices.  Some  of us have fallen.  (Yes, I have!)  Some have not practiced any of the pillars of Lent.  As Pope Francis has said, “Who am I to judge?” Yet, in some way, we have all walked the Camino del Ray during this Lenten season. 

If you have practiced prayer, fasting and almsgiving during Lent, and you have grown closer to God through these practices, I pray that God blesses you abundantly!  If you have fallen, as I did, then I pray that we be strengthened through these ancient practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  If you have not practiced any or all of these pillars of Lent, then I pray that you begin at this moment and walk this Camino Del Rey with us remembering that God’s love is unending, and God wants us to Love Him, to Talk to Him, to Hold Him Closer to our Hearts.  God wants us to sacrifice little bits and pieces of our lives to Him for love of Him, through fasting.  God wants us to give to others of our bounty.  God wants to be first in our lives.  These practices help us to put Him first.

The Camino del Rey is not easy to walk, but Jesus, our King and Savior, has already walked the Camino, carrying His cross of love for us.  Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, gave His all for us, down to the last drops of blood when He died on that tree.  The Father withdrew from the Son, and Jesus was humiliated.  He was punished unjustly.  He was tortured.  He was beaten.  His flesh was ripped off of His body by the torturous whips.  Jesus carried the weight of our sins on His back.  Jesus loved us enough to do the Father’s Will, even when He knew the pain and the suffering He would be forced to endure.  He accepted and completed His Mission of salvation.  Jesus walked the Camino.  Now, let us join Him by walking our camino with love, joy, and peace in our hearts. 

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

Jesus, we trust in You.