Real People Sharing Real Jesus

Do you ever feel like you need to prove yourself to God?During Lent, many of us try to pray more, fast harder, or do more good works—hoping we can finally earn God’s approval.But the Gospel reveals something radically different:You are already beloved.In Week 3 of our Lenten journey, we reflect on this central truth of the Christian life.Drawing from the writings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and reflections from Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, this meditation invites us to rethink repentance and our relationship with God.Repentance is not about shame or self-condemnation.It is about turning our hearts toward the God who is eager to love us.Like the prodigal son, we may come home expecting to be treated as servants.But the Father runs toward us, embraces us, and restores us as His beloved children.As St. Elizabeth of the Trinity reminds us:“If we allow God to love us, we have done the most important work of our lives.”🙏 Prayer for this weekJesus, you see me.You chose me.You love me.By Your grace, help me receive that love.#Lent#LentenReflection#CatholicPrayer#BelovedByGod#StElizabethOfTheTrinity

Fr. Ubald was an ordinary Rwandan priest who survived the 1994 genocide. In the years that followed, God called him to preach a radical message of forgiveness and reconciliation—and he was given a powerful gift of healing.During the final twelve years of his life, Fr. Ubald traveled throughout the United States sharing this message. In this video, Katsey Long shares the unlikely story of how their paths crossed and how she came to walk closely with him during those years of ministry.But this conversation is about more than one remarkable priest.It’s about what it means to be chosen by God—and how that calling often begins with simple obedience.So often we believe our worth comes from productivity: doing more, achieving more, serving more.But the Gospel reminds us of something deeper.You are chosen by God before you do anything.Even in seasons of weakness.Even in suffering.Even in quiet, hidden moments.Sometimes we don’t fully understand what God is asking of us. Many people say they don’t clearly “hear” God at all.But when the Lord calls us, He makes the next step known.The question is simply: Will we trust Him enough to obey?As Jesus says in John 15:16:"You did not choose me, but I chose you."#Lent#LentenReflection#CatholicPrayer#ChosenByGod

What if your relationship with God is not based on performance?In this meditation, we reflect on Romans 8:15–17 and the truth that we are not spiritual employees trying to earn God’s approval. We are sons and daughters who belong to Him.God does not hold us at a distance, waiting for us to prove ourselves.He draws us close and calls us His children.When we begin to live from this identity, fear loosens its grip and trust begins to grow.This meditation invites you to release the pressure to perform and rediscover the freedom of being held as a child of God.📖 ScriptureRomans 8:15–17✨ Reflection Questions• Do I relate to God more as a Father or as a taskmaster?• What fears surface when I think about trusting Him?• What would childlike faith look like for me this week?Continue this Lenten journey of discovering our identity in Christ and learning to live from the truth that we are chosen and loved.#ChosenByGod #ChildOfGod #LentJourney #IdentityInChrist #AnneTrufant #TheMissionOnTheMountain

Belonging begins with being chosen.In Week 2 of our Lenten journey, we reflect on Jesus’ words in John 15:16:“You did not choose me, but I chose you.”Before striving.Before proving.Before performing.You were chosen.So often we live as though we have to earn our place with God — praying harder, doing more, trying to become “good enough.” But the Gospel tells a different story.Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name.He restores the dignity of the woman who had been cast out.Again and again, He reveals the same truth: belonging comes before doing.Our identity is not rooted in achievement, productivity, or comparison. It is rooted in being chosen by God — claimed as His own.This reflection invites you to release the exhausting pressure to earn love and instead rest in the truth that you are already wanted.✨ Reflection Questions• Where do I feel pressure to prove myself?• What would it mean to rest in being chosen?• How would my prayer change if I began from belonging?Continue this Lenten journey as we rediscover the identity God has already given us:seen, called by name, chosen, and loved.#Lent#LentenReflection#CatholicPrayer#ChosenByGod

Lent begins not with striving, but with being seen.In Week 1 of our Lenten journey, we reflect on this foundational truth: God knows your name.Through Isaiah 43, Psalm 139, and the story of Zacchaeus, we are reminded that:• We are not invisible to God.• We are not defined by our past.• We are personally and lovingly called by name.Before correction.Before performance.Before change.There is recognition.You are seen. You are known. You are His.As we move into Week 2, carry this truth with you:Identity begins with being seen by Love.✨ Reflection Questions:• Where do I feel unseen or overlooked?• What labels have I allowed to define me?• How does it feel to imagine Jesus calling me by name?Subscribe to continue this 5-week Lenten journey.#LentJourney #SeenByGod #IdentityInChrist #CatholicReflection

In today’s reflection, we meet Bardeameus, the blind beggar, who cried out to Jesus: “Son of David, have mercy on me.”Despite being rebuked by the crowd, he persisted. And when Jesus called him, he threw off his cloak, ran forward, and said simply: “I want to see.”This week, we’re exploring what it means to be seen by God and to desire to see His love in return. Like Bardeameus, we are invited to:• Persist in calling out to Jesus, even when life or past experiences try to silence us.• Ask for true sight—the ability to see God’s love, healing, and transformation.• Let God’s love rub away the “stinking thinking” and lies we’ve believed about ourselves.✨ Reflection Questions:• What do I want to see in my life that I haven’t yet allowed myself to see?• How do I respond when God’s love challenges my patterns or past?• When God looks at me, what do I want Him to see?Say with your heart: “Jesus, I won’t stop. I want to see. You see me, you love me, you know me, and you have me.”Subscribe to continue this 5-week Lenten journey:Learning Our Identity in Christ & Becoming Who We Already Are#LentJourney #SeenByGod #FaithThatSees #CatholicReflectionReflection Questions1. What labels have I allowed to define me?2. How does it feel to imagine Jesus calling me by name?3. What might change if I believed my name matters to God?

Jesus does not call Zacchaeus by his sin or reputation—He calls him by name. When Jesus speaks our name, dignity is restored. Our identity is not shaped by our past, but by His gaze.Lent begins not with striving, but with letting ourselves be seen—by God and by our own hearts—without hiding, pretending, or proving.God's first movement toward us is recognition. Before correction. Before mission. Before change. He calls us by name.