Is. 58: 1-9a; Mt. 9:14-15
Ash Wednesday began our Lenten journey with the words “repent and believe in the gospel” or “from dust you are and to dust you shall return”. Like John the Baptist in the desert we enter into a desert experience to “cry out full-throated and unsparingly”…REPENT!!
We are ambassadors for Christ. As ambassadors we represent Christ by living the Christian ideal. To live the Christian ideal is an encounter with Christ. Traditionally many see Lent as a time to “give up” something while we “carry out your own pursuits” says scripture “going about the day as any other day” the business of life. “A day acceptable to the Lord” asks of us to “take up” an action for justice. How do we set free the “oppressed”, begin by forgiving someone and seeking reconciliation with an act of love. Take up an act of love for the hungry, the homeless, the naked shamed by a world that offers them pity by cleaning out your closet, your pantry, or your garage and giving them to organizations that serve the hungry and the homeless like a St. Vincent de Paul center. Since the Depression in this country it seems we have not only “saved for a rainy day” but become hoarders of everything. We collect so much “stuff” that we have overflowing storage and more than one of everything we claim to “need”. There even exists a professional organizing industry to help us hold onto everything. Simple tip for this Lent is “let go and let God”, give of ourselves and what we have and trust in God.
The Christian ideal for Lent is fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. The ideal for fasting and abstinence is beyond giving up something for a time it is a form of repentance. We have our food addictions to coffee, alcohol, cokes, and sweets the most common thing we tend to give up because we consciously know we are harming ourselves with the excess of consumption. At a training I attended, I recall a college student saying she could not go long without eating Cheetos every day or she would get anxious just thinking about going to buy a bag. We can also repent from too many hours of television hooked on reality shows, sports, or news events. We can repent from becoming social media junkies or bingo and “maquinita” (game) junkies.
The ideal prayer begins with “Lord, teach me to pray.” The Church offers so many forms of prayer but how is Jesus calling us to encounter him in our prayer life. If we pray the traditional rosary in 15 minutes flat perhaps we can take time to recite a scriptural rosary meditating on each bead with a scripture verse the life of Jesus. Today there are so many prayer apps we can download and pray with during the day like the Litany of the Hours which unites us to the daily prayers of the Church. Perhaps God wants us to encounter him in scripture by praying the form of Lectio Divina allowing us to meditate on scripture. Perhaps he wants us to simply spend time with him in silence before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, waiting and longing for the bridegroom.
The ideal of almsgiving is giving of self by “taking up” a cause for the need of others with works of mercy. In mercy we encounter Christ. At the beginning of the New Year my resolution was to seek “joy in Christ”. Since childhood, I had the habit of worrying. Habits lead to character development and being a “worrier” is bad for your health eventually it catches us to us especially as we age. I need the joy of Christ to change my character. I ask myself, “What gives God joy?” The answer is a repentant sinner with a merciful heart seeking to encounter him in God’s sons and daughters. The heavens celebrate when a sinner repents. In our youth we may fail to see our collection of venial sins thinking “I’m not that bad…I stay out of trouble.” As we age and look back at the things we said and did we begin to see ourselves with the eyes of God who opens our eyes and hearts to our true self and calls us back to his mercy.
Let the discipline of this Lent gush forth mercy from the heart of our God and savior. We can offer up as reparation for our sins acts of mercy. We can also offer our acts of mercy and discipline this Lent for the sins of others, souls in purgatory, our deceased family members, or simply for God’s divine purpose. Who is the prodigal son in our home and family who we can offer our acts of mercy for a conversion in their lives. The joy of Lent is being immersed in God’s merciful Heart.
One of my favorite stories from years ago in the 1980s while leading a youth group to Garner State Park, we were returning home and stopped in San Antonio with a van load of youth. I only had cash for gas (no credit cards then) and was down to my last $10.00. Stopping to go to the bathroom our son entered a stall and said “hey Dad, I found a penny.” Looking down from the next stall I said “hey son, I found $100”. There on the flood lay a black wallet with no identity and only a $100 bill. As we returned to join the group sitting by the Alamo we were in a crowd of people when I noticed an old man with a beard in old scrubby clothes walking directly to me. He stood in front of me and reached out his hand without saying a word. I reached for my wallet and gave him the $10.00 feeling awed by the moment. The man accepted the money and simply turned and disappeared in the crowd. God had heard my prayer and I encountered God in this man seeking alms. Have you encountered Jesus today?
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