At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Matthew 11:25-30
WHERE WE'VE BEEN
We who once new our identity and worth in the sight of God now have lost the sense of who we are because of the loss of unity with God, with our souls, and with the things of this world. As a result, we now suffer from the tendencies of PRIDE, LUST OF THE FLESH (a desire for pleasure), and LUST OF THE EYES (a desire for things).
To restore what was lost, God does not abolish the law. Rather, He sends His only Son to save us. He challenges us even more deeply to follow the law with all our being...because laws, rules, and boundaries are the framework by which relationships can flourish. To reestablish and reconfirm this relationship, God rewews His covenants with us, which makes our relationship with Him binding.
Last month, we learned that the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the means by which we can attain the three harmonies we lost in the Garden. Prayer overcomes pride; fasting overcomes lust of the flesh; and almsgiving overcomes lust of the eyes.
SUMMARY OF THE NIGHT
This month, we learn that the most powerful weapon we have in this quest for reestablishing the Garden is the Eucharist, particularly the celebration by which we are given this great gift: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
We learn that the Mass gives PURPOSE to our lives, reminds us of the Lord's PRESENCE in our lives, and grants us the POWER to overcome our sinfulness.
FIERY FREE SPACE
Share your "Fiery Free Space" creations, from the middle section of your take-home pamphlet, so we can share them at the next FIRE night! Simply take a picture of the box labeled "Fiery Free Space" and click the button below to email it to us!
RESOURCES FROM THE NIGHT
TAKE-HOME PAMPHLETADULT HANDOUT
AT-HOME VIDEOS & ACTIVITIES
FORMED
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