Each day during Lent, Ave Maria Press will be posting soup recipes and Lenten reflections from our Lenten prayer books here on the Ave Maria Press website. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more inspiration.
Lenten Reflection Day 24
From Lenten Healing:
Our initial reactions to fear are always the same — flight, flee, or freeze. Our heart pounds inside our chest, we sweat, and we breathe rapidly. Our body and mind are on some kind of high alert to danger. If we are being stalked by a cougar while hiking in the mountains, this is the perfect response. It springs from an actual event. But when our fear is based on the perception that something bad might happen, we are experiencing the wound of fear. If you’ve ever been involved in a serious car accident, you probably experienced fear the first few times you got back in a car. If it became entrenched, you might experience fear every time you get n a car, even to the point of refusing to get in a car. We all have fears. Yours might be public speaking, death, or poverty. Our fears often become ingrained because of hurtful or traumatic events. Fear can keep us from living God’s plan for us. We either rush ahead of God (fight), run away (flee), or stand still (freeze). I encourage you to take heart as we continue this reflection over the coming days. Fear will try to stop you. Do not be deterred!
Cowboy Stew
Ingredients 
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2–3 cups carrots, thinly sliced
2–3 cups potatoes, chopped
2 cups water
1 large can (28-ounce) baked beans
1 cup barbecue sauce
Shredded cheese
Preparation
Brown meat and onions, drain. Add carrots and potatoes, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in water. Cover and simmer on medium-heat 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add beans and barbecue sauce. Mix well. Cook 5 minutes or until heated through.
Top with cheese.
Submitted by Teri Burns.
