We will not have conferences on Wednesday=s we will have community dialogue and opportunity for discussion on our point that we started to focus on that is our Liturgy.

As I was saying Monday, the focus of Lent from reading the Rule, is to focus on Easter. The first point is that we should want to know Jesus more during Lent. Paul is the example of that especially in Philipians, Chapter 3. Then he goes on to say that he also wants not only to know Jesus, but also the power of the resurrection. Paul says in Corinthians, if you paid attention on Sunday, it doesn=t quite translate the same way but he gets strength out of the death of Jesus. So the Paschal mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus, is the source of our strength.

What does that mean? It means the life we live is really the resurrected life. Every time we increase that life we increase the divine life in us we call life of grace. So Lent is an opportunity to really live this life to the full and to be conscious of the fact that we are really divine sons and daughters of almighty God. So we blossom and continue to grow in the spiritual life through grace especially during this season. The problem is that we want to always feel it, measure it and that=s not always possible. But we are just like Jesus, that is, we will die, our body will be buried, but we will rise one day in our body.

Then Paul says something else about the resurrection. There=s a political dimension to the resurrection, that is, Paul doesn=t hesitate to say, Athere=s only one Lord, Cesar is not Lord, Jesus is!@ And that flows beginning from the resurrection.

I don=t care how powerful Bush is, I don=t care what his plans are, I don=t care what he tries to negotiate, that=s not the deepest authority of our life or even the deepest authority of the world. Jesus is Lord!

The real question here, is Jesus Lord of my life? He is Lord, there=s no doubt about it. But is he Lord of my life? This is a very important dimension of the resurrection because it helps us see the value of our obediences. Every time you try to discern God=s will and you figure this is what I think God wants me to do especially if the Abbot says yes, then you can be sure this is what Jesus wants, you are letting Jesus be Lord of your life.

The monastic life, in fact all religious life, is really a particularly blessed kind of life that allows you to have Jesus be Lord of every dimension of your life 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that you can really blossom in obedience and Jesus= lordship over you. Jesus= lordship is not tyranny. His whole purpose is to flood us with grace and blessings.

By focusing on the resurrection for the beginning of Lent then you can see just three main strong themes that ought to be dominating our life. One is to really want to know Jesus. Come to know him more so you can love him more. The second one is to realize the value of your life as having eternal value in every little thing. And to make sure you make those acts of faith, hope, and charity that make your life unfold. Finally, the value of your obedience. To really want Jesus to be Lord of your life means you have to obey him. Since he=s alive, it=s possible that not only is he Lord but he=ll become Lord of your life.

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