Now we connect this season with prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Over the years, I think, at least in my case, fasting has been the emphasis. It shouldn’t be. We are given the opportunity to renew our prayer as well. Let’s take the remembering thing about Lent. How about simply remembering that Jesus Christ is the Vine and we are the branches? How about simply contemplating that image, and allowing the “divine sap” that flows through that image found in God’s Word (John 15) to renew me, quietly, passively. I am not doing anything here; I simply allow God to do in me what the Word says. (See Lenten Contemplation on the web site). Check out Isaiah 55 on the effectiveness of God’s Word. Don’t be afraid; let God be awesome, and loving.

And then there’s almsgiving. We are made clean by listening to the Word of God (John 15:3) and by almsgiving (Luke 11:41). I’ll leave that up to you to decide but you can remember this: God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). So, if you give, do it quietly (Matthew 6:3), and be cheerful about it.

Okay let’s get to the fasting. I have a sweet tooth, so I continue to eat sweets during Lent. Wait, shouldn’t I be giving up sweets? I like them! No, not necessarily because there are more important things. Here’s what I started about five years ago as my Lenten fast: I started driving like a sane man on the highway. I tried to observe the speed limit. I asked God to help me not to get angry or upset when someone got ahead of me, or beat me through a four-way stop sign, or was too close on my tail. As a matter of fact, if I got to a four-way stop sign even slightly ahead of someone, I waited, waved them on through. Now I get a nice wave back, instead of that other unspeakable (but-you-know-what-I- mean) sign that I used to get which made the signaler and the signalee very angry. In other words, this “highway fast” (there’s an irony of linguistic juxtaposition) is my way of cutting down on the anger in the world. May seem trite but ask yourself if there’s anger out there on our highways. Fill in the blank: The U.S. is full of Road ______. Now, instead of waiting for Easter so that I can eat my chocolate after forty days of fasting, what I begin in Lent continues through the year and gets reemphasized every year at Lent until my God-given Christian life comes out through my actions on the highway. And then in other more significant ways, for I can transfer grace given and lessons learned about anger and competition through my “highway fast” to other spheres of my life.

I hope to see you at Loyola. This is God’s house of prayer where people have been drawn for more than 82 years to Christ through God’s loving, flaming, Holy Spirit. This is God’s house of prayer which is here purely on the basis of the generosity of our friends and benefactors who give their hard earned bread to support the offering of Word and Bread that happens here every day. This is God’s house of prayer were anger and competition cease and where one lives the connection to the Divine sap-giving Vine, remembering God’s graciousness and love, and being re-membered to God’s Body. Our arms are open for you as are Christ’s on the cross. “Come to me,” he says; “Let the Father draw you,” he lovingly urges us. “Let me give you rest in this joyful season of Lent.”

Final word; if you see me at a stop sign, give me a wave, as I wave you through. Christ’s Peace!

Sincerely in Christ
Rev. Charles L. Moutenot, S.J.
Director of Spiritual Programs

This October will mark the end of three years for me as a fulltime employee of Loyola. In this time our newly appointed team has accomplished much for the physical preservation of Loyola, as well as for the ongoing financial stability for future generations coming to Loyola. Renee Owens, our newly appointed Director of Administration, has energized our Parish Outreach Program and this website, and continues to build awareness and relationships with new and long standing retreatants and associations. Teresa Elko, our Controller, has made good progress in managing our vendors, paying bills in a timely manner and looking for opportunities to better control costs. Our kitchen, housekeeping and maintenance staffs are keenly focused - as a team - to make your stay at Loyola as nourishing, clean, comfortable and as enjoyable as possible.

"Enriching - body / mind/ and soul", "Peaceful, rewarding and stimulating" and "Touched by God! Restorative". These are but a sample of testimonials received from our retreatants each weekend. Our long term retreatants are intimately aware of these sentiments. Since 1927 some 92 individuals have made over 50 weekend retreats at Loyola, and hundreds of thousands have come here to rest and pray away from the busy outside world.

Would you benefit from such an event in your life? Would you consider investing the time to pursue this unique opportunity? With "yes" answers, please don’t hesitate in perusing this website or contacting Renee Owens or me to pursue moving more deeply into the gift of your faith. God Bless you and your families.

Joseph J Albarella,
Executive Director, President