Good morning! Our Lenten devotional for today was written by Kelly Guilbeau. Kelly is a Senior Biology major from Lafayette, LA. I have gotten to know Kelly over the past two years as she has served as Co-President of the TCU Catholic Community. During that time I have come to know someone who is committed to her faith and intentionally practices it daily. Her time at TCU has been formative for her in many ways, and her involvement in the Catholic Community has been especially impactful. After graduation in May Kelly plans on serving as a missionary with FOCUS, where she can help other college students more intentionally live into their faith while attending their university. While we will definitely miss Kelly on our campus, our thoughts and prayers go with her as she makes a difference in the lives of countless others. May her words be a helpful companion for you today as you continue on your Lenten journey. – Rev. Todd Boling
Isaiah 58: 9-11
“If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails.”
A couple of weeks ago, I asked a friend out for dinner. My intentions were to call him out on something. I thought that I knew what would be best for him. But during our time together, I couldn’t bring myself to confront him. I was enjoying my time with my friend, and I didn’t want to ruin it. We don’t get to see each other very much, and when we got to catch up, we were talking and laughing so much. Though it was in the back of my mind, I never brought up the accusation I’d intended to. At the end of the meal, he said, “Thank you so much. I really needed this.” I knew he had been bogged down recently with pressures of college, so I knew what he meant.
We don’t have to try to fix things or people or situations. We only need to be attentive to the ways God wants us to act as His instrument. When I invited my friend for dinner, I had a plan. God had a different one–he wanted me to be able to show my love for my friend. The verse I chose says “If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted,” then the Lord will guide you and strengthen you. If my life is my bread, this verse is calling me to give of it to the hungry and the afflicted. I am to give of my life to intentionally love to each person I meet. We see and interact with a LOT of people on a daily basis in college (well, unless you’re pre-law…then maybe you coop up in the library all day). What if we loved each of these people the way God wants us to? It is said that as St. Teresa of Calcutta walked through the convent, she would BOW to each person she passed “because she saw Christ in them.” How incredible is that? What if we recognized every person’s need to be loved and we met that need? What if loving means putting our own predispositions aside? Give up being judgmental for Lent. Give up following your own plans for Lent. Instead, be God’s instrument for Lent.
Let us pray.
Lord, let me be your instrument to love today. Put aside my plans and show me how to love each person I meet.
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