What if Lent Could Rekindle Your Faith? Exploring the Kerygma
Life can take us on unexpected paths, and sometimes our faith journey can feel like it’s taken a detour. If you’ve found yourself distant from your faith, or if you’re simply curious about exploring it again, this Lenten season offers a gentle invitation to reconnect. These daily reflections focus on the Kerygma, the core message of Christianity – a message of love, hope, and new beginnings. We’ll be exploring eight key “Acts” of God’s story, from creation to our present call to partnership with Him. There’s no pressure, no judgment, just an invitation to consider a different perspective and perhaps rediscover a connection you thought was lost.
Act 1: God’s Creation and Gift of Love: “In the beginning, out of nothing, God created everything. God freely created out of love, a love that wants to share the very life of God with us, his beloved children.”
Theme
Act I of the Kerygma, “The Invitation,” emphasizes God’s initiative in seeking a relationship with us. He doesn’t wait for us to find Him; He actively reaches out, offering His love and inviting us to draw closer. This invitation is a gentle call, a loving whisper, not a demand. It’s a free will choice to respond to His love.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 1
Reflection
This familiar passage from John’s Gospel is a powerful expression of Act I of the Kerygma: The Invitation. It reveals the very heart of God’s initiative in seeking a relationship with us. God’s love isn’t passive; it’s active and sacrificial. He doesn’t wait for us to come to Him, but rather, He sends His Son as the ultimate act of love. This verse highlights the depth of God’s character: a love that is boundless, generous, and deeply personal. He desires not only our salvation but also an intimate connection with us.
During Lent, we’re called to deepen our understanding of this divine love and to respond to it with our own. This passage reminds us that our baptismal promises are rooted in God’s love for us. We were chosen and loved before we even knew Him. By believing in Jesus, we accept God’s invitation to share in His eternal life. This season is a time to reflect on whether we are truly living out this invitation, allowing God’s love to transform our hearts and actions. Are we opening ourselves to the fullness of the love that God offers?
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the immense love you have shown us through your Son, Jesus. Help us to truly grasp the depth of your sacrifice and to respond with a love that mirrors yours. During this Lenten season, draw us closer to you, that we may fully embrace your invitation and live as your beloved children. Amen.
Action
Today, take a few moments to reflect on how you experience God’s love in your life. Consider writing down three specific ways you have felt God’s love. Then, choose one way to show that love to someone else, whether through a kind word, a helping hand, or a simple act of presence.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post