Here's How Lent Can Be Your Season Of Miracles After Divorce

It seems like very few people believe in miracles anymore. We hear stories of doctors being flabbergasted when a patient is miraculously cured and even with the proof right in front of their eyes, they can't bring themselves to acknowledge there was Divine intervention at work. But it's not just in those extreme cases, there are everyday miracles happening, too. The miracle of conceiving a baby and child birth. The miracle of the iron cross left by the destruction of the Twin Towers on September 11th. Most importantly, we have the miracle of the Eucharist. Many Catholics who attend Mass regard the wafer and wine they receive as merely being symbolic of Jesus' body and blood instead of seeing the true miracle of transubstantiation that takes place right in front of them. Why are people so cynical? In my opinion, it's because of their wounded hearts. The open, trusting heart they had as children has become hardened and closed as a result of being broken time and time again.

The Gospel from this past Sunday's Mass, however, compels us to revisit our beliefs about the reality of miracles when we read about Jesus curing the leper. Jesus miraculously healed many people from their physical and emotional ailments, but this account from the Gospel of Mark is especially poignant for someone who has been through a divorce. I first have to say that, as someone who has been divorced in the past, I can easily relate to this leper who was an outcast because of his disease. Divorce certainly can make you feel like an outcast within your own circle of family and friends, even at church. But, this Gospel gives us a wonderful parallel between the suffering of a leper and the suffering of a divorced person to reflect upon.

Lepers were to be avoided at all costs because the danger of contracting their disease was very high if you got near them. If you've been through a divorce then you understand what it's like to have people you know suddenly avoid you or stop speaking to you altogether. In the case of the leper, Jesus not only allowed him to come near him, but He laid His hand on him with love. He was moved with pity for him, as He is for you in your suffering. Jesus does not move away from you in your hour of need, He embraces you, carries you. The miracle you can believe in—especially when you are feeling lonely and abandoned—is the Creator of the Universe hung on a cross and died so that you can live with Him in eternal bliss when you are called from earthly life of suffering.

The New Testament helps us to understand the great depths of Jesus' love for us more and more so that in our difficult times, we can take consolation in the fact that He loves us. We watch Him weep with tenderness for Lazarus just before He raised him from the dead. We observe Him handle the most scandalous sinners with great love and care, treating them with compassion and human dignity. How could we doubt his love for us in our time of need? Sometimes the story we read doesn’t translate to our everyday life because of the pain we are experiencing. But we should not allow the pain and suffering we experience to harden our hearts toward the miracles that take place around us. We should read these accounts of Jesus' miraculous healings and love for those who suffer and let them open our hearts wider. We should allow them to fortify the trust and hope we've lost because of divorce.

People say miracles don’t happen any more. But each day, through the celebration of the Mass and miracles like these, Jesus is trying to show us how much He loves us. He wants us to know how passionate His love for us is and that He thirsts for our love in return. As we enter into Lent, I encourage you to spend time each day reflecting on all that He suffered for us. In our day and age of people with cynical hardened hearts, perhaps the greatest consolation for you as you suffer is knowing that Jesus went through His passion and death purely out of love for each one of us. His consolation for all that He suffered will be the love you return to Him.

I also encourage you to pray the Stations Of The Cross For Divorced Catholics with me during Lent for all those who are carrying the heavy cross of divorce. Feel free to send your feedback and questions to asklisa@catholicmatch.com or reach out to me via Twitter @lisaduffy.