The Pursuit of Restoration

Theme for Lent

Commonly we think of our walk towards Christ as one from Darkness to Light.

Which is true and accurate

But as we continue to grow in our relationship with God there is another journey that takes place from Light to Darkness

Journey described by St. Gregory of Nyssa

From Light to Dark

Stage 1: Struggles against the passions

Week 1: Where is your treasure

Week 2: Temptations

Stage 2: Knowledge of God through the mirror of the soul

Week 3: Prodigal son

Week 4: Samaritan Woman

Stage 3: Knowledge of God in darkness

Week 5: Paralyzed man

Week 6: Man born blind

Point of commitment

Every meaningful journey is marked by a beginning point.

The beginning point is where there is a change in mindset and focus.

decisions are made regarding

habits

commitments

rest

work

These decision are fueled by a desired outcome, one that can be envisions in your mind and felt in your heart.

Its also fueled by realizing your current state of discontentment or dissatisfaction with your life

ex. Losing weight, getting healthy

ex. pursuing a certain career path

ex. choosing to end your studies/training to get on with life

ex. new business endeavor or financial investment

ex. habits of judgment, pride, anger that we wish to change

The decision point is important as it begins to harness your will power and commitment.

your resiliency will keep you on tract during the journey as there will inevitably be set-backs and challenges

Scripture captures this idea succinctly in today’s Gospel

Matthew 6:21 NKJV

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The treasure, is whatever you envision or desire and the heart is the driving force to achieve it.

A fruitful and meaningful Lenten journey, must begin with a decision. Many are open to making this decision but don’t how or where to begin.

The problem is that we too often don’t have a firm grasp on what we are actually aiming for. We know that the tools to employ are but are still not sure what we are aiming at.

fasting

prayer

repentance

liturgy

scripture

Restoring God’s Image

Our goal in Lent, and spiritual battle through out life, is to restore the image of God in us. His image has been concealed under the layers of sin, guilt, and shame we have caked on ourselves. Lent provides us the opportunity to take an individual step in removing the layers, while being supported communally.

What is inside of you is Good because it was formed after His image.

St. Gregory of Nyssa

For the pattern of the image could not have been preserved if in its imitation it had in any respect contradicted its archetype.

Through our inheritance of the image of God we received the right to self-determination.

St. Gregory of Nyssa

“…and this likeness to the ruler of all things also extended to man’s power of self-determination: man could choose whatever pleased him and was not enslaved to any external necessity. But man was led astray by deception...”

The deception comes in taking our sights off of God and onto something or someone else.

Matthew 6:22–23 NKJV

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

St. Matthew is alerting us to the significant role our ‘eye’ has in the overall condition of our body.

The function of the eye is to perceive light...

light bounces off objects and then goes to our brains through our eyes and then we process.

If we close our eyes, do the eyes stop working? NO they just perceive darkness.

We cannot function the way we were created to function w/o light

Our willful turning to sin and our passions (anger, jealousy, greed) is essentially closing our eyes to the light.

Light represents Christ and all his virtues which are the opposite of our passions.

Lent and all the various practices that we can, if we so choose, to employ serve as the means by which we open our eyes again to the light.

Our spiritual exercises during lent help us remove our sinful tendencies and get better control of our passions which interfere in the restoration of the image of God.

Think of two magnets. They are naturally drawn to each other because of their natural properties.

When sin is allowed to dwell in the middle it impedes the natural forces that want to bring them together.

When sin and passions are removed and controlled, the two magnets join together because of their natural affinity towards each other.

We bear His image and likeness because He has gifted it to us, not because of anything we have done.

When the two magnets are joined they look and function like one.

Likewise, we look and act more like Christ....

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Our Lenten Journey is to restore the image of God in us. We take steps towards that goal by employing the various spiritual practices available that help us remove the sin and passions from our lives allowing the hidden light of being created in His image to shine brightly.

As we progress through Lent its important to both

Implement spiritual practices AND

Identify a sinful behavior or habit to focus on stopping