A year ago
this week, COVID-19 made its presence painfully known to the entire world. And it’s been a long, troubled year, to be
sure. To the extent that our hearts are
troubled, distracted, self-absorbed, or so divided that they’re rebellious, we
need to do things (acts of penance) to help us "turn back" to our
Lord, with all our heart.
The desire
of most of us in our Lenten journey is most likely greater freedom - freedom to
cooperate with, to respond to God's grace. The "work" of Lent is to discover
where and in what concrete ways we’re not cooperating - where and when we’re resisting
the gift that God is giving us in Jesus (1Corinthians 1:22-25). When we don't want to honor our God, or when we’re
aggressive or covetous (desiring what’s not ours or what’s not good for us),
then we’re out of balance and we can be quite closed to the love God wants to
give us, in the form of new and everlasting life.
Lent is for
freedom - freedom to make our heart like His.
It’s about freedom to give our life away. It’s the process of practicing habits of
thinking about the needs of others, before going after our own needs first.
So, at the
end of this forty-day journey, the goal isn’t how many sacrifices we made, but
how free we’ve become. We'll know this tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Who in my family is sensing that I'm less
angry or selfish? Who senses I'm softer
and more compassionate? Who would say
that I'm seeming to be more generous and self-sacrificing? Ultimately, how have I grown in compassion for
the poor and those on the margins of society? How have I thought about being their advocate
in helping dismantle the unjust social structures which bind them in poverty
and despair? What’s different in my
behavior, and shows how I've cooperated with grace? What’s going to last?
What am I
doing with the remaining weeks of Lent? Whatever will help these kinds of graces grow
in me. Asking for them with deeper and
deeper desiring. Finding ways to say
"no" to past habits and to practice new ones. Giving thanks and praise when the grace comes.
Feeling and celebrating how freedom and fidelity to the law of the Lord brings
the gift of life (2Corinthians 3:17, Romans 6:20-22).
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