The Lenten
season was so named because the days become longer in parts of the world at
this time; Spring arrives. The days from
Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday encompass a time in which the “ashes” of last
year’s vegetation gradually are pushed aside by rain and new growth. It symbolically is a great time to dwell on
the fact that God allows us to rise from the ashes and destruction of sin, and
to move closer to fulfilling our part of the covenant with Him. We begin our Lenten journey marked by ashes
and “shamefaced”, as Daniel writes [Daniel 9:4-10],
because “we have sinned, been wicked, and done evil.” We’re made aware that God loves us despite our
disobedience and rebelliousness. We’re
only asked to love God and to keep His commandments. During the course of the Lenten season, we
need to dwell not only on our propensity to drift away from the love of God and
His commandments, but also on His love and forgiveness, and our salvation
through Him. In reading Psalm 79, we
pray, “deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake.” [Psalms 79:8-13]
The gospel I
reflected on today is given by Jesus in “a good measure, packed
together, shaken down, and overflowing” [Luke 6:36-38]. The
message is concise, condensed, and immensely rewarding. If we consider our interactions with others in
our troubled world, we have to ask ourselves, are we still the disobedient and
rebellious sinners that Daniel writes about?
Are we following Jesus’ admonition to stop judging; to stop condemning;
and to forgive others? It seems that too
often we haven’t brought this message into our hearts. We need to pray that we become more welcoming
to the oppressed and the needy. We need
to open our hearts and arms to those who lately have been cast adrift to seek
refuge; to have mercy; to forgive; and not to judge. “The
measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
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