... a sacred time of spiritual renewal known as Lent. The celebration of Easter cannot be fully understood and experienced without taking the necessary time for reflection and evaluation to determine where we spiritually and morally stand as individuals and as a community before God.
Social scientists say it takes 28 days to change a habit. Lent asks us to change more than a habit. We’re invited to change our priorities and the focus of our lives. Maybe that’s why Lent takes a full 40 days and happens every year. Throughout the Bible, the number 40 holds special meaning, indicating a span of time when significant events took place. It rained on Noah and his ark for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses spent 40 days and nights with God on Mount Sinai. The Hebrew people spent 40 years wandering in the desert upon their deliverance from slavery to the Promised Land. Jonah gave the city of Nineveh 40 days in which to repent. And Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. The goal of every Christian is to leave Lent a stronger and more vital person of faith than when we entered. So the question remains: can we be and do better?
The first day of Lent begins with a sacred tradition of receiving ashes. In our present liturgy for Ash Wednesday, we use ashes made from the burned palm branches distributed on Palm Sunday of the previous year. The priest blesses the ashes and imposes them with the words, "Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return," or "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." No matter if we receive the ashes on the forehead in the form of a cross or if placed on the crown of the head, the meaning is the same: we acknowledge we are sinners in need of a savior. We again convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died and rose for our salvation. We renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ. Finally, mindful that the kingdom of this world passes away, we strive to live the kingdom of God now and look forward to its fulfillment in Heaven. In essence, we die to ourselves, and rise to a new life in Christ.
We Catholics take up the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving every year. These practices help us to remember the merciful love and compassion that God shows all people. Participating in these practices, we journey with God and our community toward the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of our Lord. Together with those who are preparing to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil, we strive to live more faithfully to God’s call to be merciful, loving, and compassionate to those around us. Our acts of love through sacrifice and prayer bear tangible witness of God’s love to those around us. I read recently a simple and profound way to remember the purpose of prayer, fasting and almsgiving: Prayer is love for God; Fasting is love for yourself; and Almsgiving is love for others.
My brothers and sisters, can we be and do better? I know the answer is: YES, with the help of God. As we ready ourselves for Lent, let us strive to fall deeper in love with God, to nourish our collective souls, and to seek ways to better serve the needs of one another… doing all to glorify Christ’s Holy Name.