One Season Ends... Another Begins

Well, football season officially ended just a few minutes ago with the New York Giants ending the New England Patriots quest for perfection with a three point victory at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Tom Brady and the Patriots came up short on their closing drive, giving the game to New York. As a Patriots fan, it was a dissapointing way to end an otherwise stellar season. But, that's football... and that's 'why they play the games.'

With this night being ended, its time to turn our attention to preparing for Pascha. Lent begins tomorrow (for those of us in the Syriac rite) with Ash Monday. Football cannot compare to the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ... not even a Super Bowl win can come close. Let us now enter into Lent with a certainty of purpose, focusing on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

During this Lenten season, fasting and abstinence from meats are some traditional means of marking the season, but instead of giving things up, perhaps you might consider taking something up... perhaps reviving your daily prayer life, spending more time reading Sacred Scripture, or volunteering time with the homeless, the sick, or the hungry.

Whatever way you choose to mark the Lenten Season, do so with the recognition that what you do you are doing in the power of the Holy Spirit to make your relationship with Christ more intimate, and remember that by making self sacrifices, we find ourselves conformed more and more to the heart of Jesus.

May your Lenten observance be blessed.

And, to my fellow Pats fans... there's always next season.