The war in Ukraine is a physical war but has a spiritual dimension, and the spiritual life also has a dimension of war to it, said Father Joseph Johnson, pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park.
“There’s a connection back and forth there,” he said, “and it’s the reason why, in the war in Ukraine, we need the power of prayer. And in our spiritual life, we need to do some combat, to roll up our sleeves.”
Strengthening one’s will helps Christians not give into temptations and not be swayed by what the devil may do to push them away from the Lord, Father Johnson said. Lenten practices of extra time in prayer, fasting and almsgiving are meant to strengthen the will, he said.
Father Johnson recently joined “Practicing Catholic” host Patrick Conley to discuss fighting the best fight this Lent.
“Lent is not a time that I’m going to hold my breath for 40 days and then … let my breath out and be right back to where I was on Mardi Gras,” Father Johnson said. “I don’t want to go back to where I was. I … want to be new, … renewed. I want to deepen my friendship with Christ when I get to Easter.”
The Lord reminds that anything the faithful give up for him, he more than repays them, Father Johnson said. “And that’s not just on the level of earthly blessings, but we need to learn to delight in the things of the Spirit.”
So what guidance would Father Johnson give to Catholics planning to give up things for Lent? First, be generous — but not “too generous” because “sometimes we promise something heroic and then we fail within 24 hours.” We set ourselves up for failure by promising too much, he said. “I have to crawl before I walk. Walk before I run.”
Be generous but be practical, he said.
“Don’t leave it in the fuzzy realm of good intentions,” he said. Make a promise to do something concrete. “I think that’s the way to use the graces of Lent to cooperate with the Lord’s invitation to be transformed during his holy season.”
To hear more Lenten inspiration from Father Johnson and to hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. March 4 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and also airs at 1 p.m. March 5 and 2 p.m. March 6.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Teresa Tawil from Curatio, who offers Catholic guidance on bioethical concerns; and Visitation Sister Katherine Mullen and School Sister of Notre Dame Stephanie Spandl, who share insights on discerning a call to a religious order.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
soundcloud.com/PracticingCatholic
tinyurl.com/PracticingCatholic? (Spotify)
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