A Lenten reflection March 2012 Newsletter "By Jane Fuller"

Text Box: As the Season of Lent is upon us we often turn inward in reflection of our lives; our past, present and future actions. I wonder how many of us have ever thought that God had called us to be a prophet. Think about it. Have you ever thought that part of your role within the church, within the community of disciples of Jesus, would be as a prophet? Well, first of all, what is a prophet? Maybe we still have the idea that a prophet is somebody who foretells the future. That's not what prophecy is in the scripture. That's not what any of the great prophets of the Old Testament or in the New Testament, like John the Baptist or Jesus himself, did. They weren't predicting the future. That wasn't what God sent them to do. No, a prophet is someone who speaks for God. They do this either with words or by the

Text Box: way they live, their lives give a lesson. A prophet has been defined as a “conscience of a community, the conscience of the church, the conscience of a nation”. Ezekiel told us a prophet is like the watchman, the person who is out there watching for what might happen to the community, issuing a warning, trying to alert everyone, "Things are going the wrong way" or "We're in danger. We have to change. We have to be ready to protect ourselves." The prophet is the one who sees implications in what is going on. Someone who is in touch with God, who can truly be a conscience for the rest of us. If you think about being called to be a prophet, you will probably say, "Well, how can I be a prophet? Who am I?" Or you might say, "I'm a sinner.

Text Box: I'm not that good. How could God speak through me?" Well, the answer is yes, God is calling all of us. If we follow Jesus who was the prophet, then we must also be prophets. As we try to discern what God wants us to say or do we need to spend time in quiet prayer where we can hear God speak deep within our heart. Each of us, if we make time with God, will hear the gentle breeze, God's spirit, God's voice, guiding us, leading us and giving us courage. As Catholics we are called to serve everywhere in the world. God’s children were not all born in the US and we are called to serve as Disciples of Christ everywhere. It is hard to reconcile with people who feel we have to “take care of our own first”. Who are our own? Are we as Catholics taught and now teaching future generations that we are not to worry about others, just our own family, or extended family, or local community, or even just our country? We are so fortunate to have been given this wonderful gift by our Lord and Savior to be born in a free country with many resources. (continued on page 5)

Text Box: The Good News of St. Matthew Catholic Parish

The Newsletter Committee:

+ Allyn Echaniz,

+ Sandy Chavez,

+ Yvonne Gomez,

+ Lorena Limas,

+ Julie Peak,

+ Dorothy Schatzman,

+ Mary Villarreal,

+ Myrna Zanetell.

A Lenten Reflection Continued on here	1
Getting to know you! Veronica Herron	2
St Matthew Religious Education Teachers	3
St Matthew School News & Book Review	4
Book Review “Walking with God”	4 6
Meet Gretchen & Ginger	7
Life Teen News	2

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