By Nick Carney
Recently I had the opportunity to share a retreat weekend with several great men. It was a wonderful opportunity to start my Lent by recharging and refocusing on the season. All the men were at different stages of their lives. Some were right out of college, just starting their careers, and discerning the big life decisions – Who should I marry? Should I marry? Where should I live? What profession am I be called to?
Other men were further along in their life – married, homeowners, raising children, and planning for what future obstacles may come. Then there were men who carried even more life experiences under their belts – men established in their profession or retired, with grandchildren, providing the gift of wisdom for the benefit of others.
After discussion throughout the weekend I noticed two commonalities regardless of age or stage in life. One is that we are always preparing for the next journey in our life. Young or old, near the beginning or end, we are always looking for the next brick to add to our foundation to build a legacy. Which leads to my second observation. What is the legacy we are leaving? How are we making an impact? Every person is looking for ways to grow and invest in their life. If you just finished your degree, you may be looking to begin laying the foundation of your legacy in your profession. If you have children, you want to be a virtuous example so that your children will continue what you built. Later in your life, you may want to leave a legacy for your community, for the place that helped you become who you are today.
We enter Lent, this season meant for preparation for the resurrection of Christ. We are taught to prepare through prayer (Justice to God), fasting (Justice to self), and almsgiving (Justice to neighbor). Every year, I enter Lent with a plan for how I can best give of myself in these ways. I plan a routine of the same things I do every year with the mindset: “This is what I am supposed to do.” I plan on giving up social media, changing my diet, dedicating extra time for prayer in the morning, and finding ways to volunteer at my local church. These are all admirable pursuits and opportunities for me to help eliminate distraction in preparation for Easter.
However, after this weekend I had a mental shift in my idea of Lenten preparation. The question I started asking about my preparation is now: “During Lent, how am I going to build the legacy of Christ?”
This is the challenge I present to you. Continue in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but reflect on Christ and how your efforts are going to build on your legacy and the legacy of our Church.
“The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort.” -Saint Padre Pio
Are you interested in leaving a charitable legacy as part of your estate plan? The Foundation has ideas and tools which can help you plan for a legacy gift to your local parish or any charity that you love. Call us at 408.995.5219 or visit cfoscclegacy.org for more information.