Lenten Live Series 2026 #4 – Spiritual Formation
by Anne, ARK
Today we consider the image of the North Star alongside our basic apostolic teachings. If we keep our eyes on Christ on the mountain with the North star above him, we can’t go wrong.
“We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced. The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.
In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself ways: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him…’” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Office of Readings).
Bernard of Clairvaux points us toward this middle coming.
“Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Office of Readings).
Our apostolic way is the way we travel on this road between the first coming and the last. What Christ calls the Rescue Mission is our way to participate in this middle coming.
We submit to the Lenten grind, systematically renewing ourselves in preparation for Easter Sunday, where we celebrate the Resurrection.
Through our prayer, we attempt to create order in our mind. The ARK concepts of spirituality put order in our minds and help us to retrieve order when we lose it. We can remain peaceful, maintaining our presence with Christ.
At this point of Lent we may be experiencing temptation. We find ways to negotiate the events, but also, we must negotiate our thoughts. We try to take responsibility for our thoughts and maintain stewardship over them.
We participate in the advent of the Second Coming by allowing Christ to transform us. We are willing to sacrifice and suffer for the realization of his Rescue Mission, which of course, means bringing others to God’s love. We believe that God views us always in love and mercy. He sees us as children who are learning to understand love in all its nuances. We have been climbing this mountain for many years, and we continue to learn, but we start to learn at higher levels as we continue to climb.
In prayer with Christ we can take a breath of relief and know we are sitting beside truth.
Sitting beside truth can be purgatorial; we rest in it and let it illuminate matters for us.
When we are resting with Christ and experiencing the illumination he brings, we can feel pain when we realize that we were responsible for certain things, for not being patient enough or thoughtful enough. That light of truth grants us better discernment and lights up areas where we may have made mistakes. We should be willing to know and to accept these truths about ourselves and embrace them, particularly when prompted to adjust our thinking and thoughts.
The more we absorb Jesus, the more we become like him in thought, word, and deed. We understand that Christ would have had his hands full keeping his eyes focused on the Father in trust and acceptance of the divine will. He had to acquire and reacquire the correct disposition; we know that the way he prayed filled the apostles with longing. They were longing for what Jesus had. Jesus wants you and I to have that same longing, that same desire. People should look at us and see our Way and think, “If only I had that, my life would be different.” We are showing people with the way we live that their lives can be different, too. There is peace, repentance, apologies, taking responsibility. When we apologize to family members for not being the best we can be, they learn that they are worthy. We actually offer them dignity.
Yes, when we pray we are inhaling the identity of Christ. As we learned about Heaven, about Purgatory and God’s love, about the saints and heavenly companions, we changed. We are different now. Order in the mind means that the mind begins to harmonize with the Savior’s thoughts and plans.
“Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
The Global Mind Health Report 2025:
Globally, young adults in less developed countries were found to have significantly better mental health than young adults from western, wealthier countries. The four biggest factors damaging the mental health of young adults were:
1. Lack of family bonds. Family bonds were identified as a strongly protective factors against poor mind health. Wealthier countries tended to have weaker family bonds.
2. Spirituality. Spirituality is identified as a strong indicator of sturdier mental health. Spirituality is stronger in many African countries where mental health outcomes are better, and weaker in developed countries where mental health is weaker.
3. Smart phones. There is a direct correlation with the age of receiving a smart phone and mind health outcomes. The younger the child received a cell phone, the poorer their mind health became as they got older. Linked with suicidal ideation, low self-esteem, aggressive thought patterns, etc.
4. Processed/unprocessed foods. Processed food was discovered to be a factor contributing strongly to overall mental health burden, culpable for between 15-30% of damaged mental health.
Those were the four key findings. It is good to know that the study was conducted by a non-profit, secular group. There was no goal of identifying a lack of spirituality as a causal factor. These four elements can be improved upon.
We are each carrying a little piece of the conversion graces God has for others. We are not aware of how much grace God can move through us. God can steady someone and help them through us without our awareness and despite out imperfections. What matters is how much we are willing to collaborate with him and how earnestly we desire to help someone.
