In our reading from Isaiah, we hear about
fasting, about repenting for our sins, in wearing sackcloth and ashes and
publicly declaring our desire to repent and change our hearts. We all just received ashes on our foreheads
this past Wednesday, as we were told to turn away from sin and to believe in
the Gospel. Yet, what does this matter
if we do not practice peace and justice in our lives? Sharing our food with the hungry, bringing
the poor into our house, helping to clothe the naked – this is what the Lord
asks of us in our fast, in our Lenten disciplines.
I have heard people sometimes mock our
Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and good works, but they are there for a
reason. They are what God desires of
us. And hopefully they will work
hand-in-hand to change our hearts, to change our lives, to change our actions. As
we begin our Lenten season, may we find disciplines that change our lives and
help us live out the values of our faith that we proclaim. May our fasting and our Lenten rituals not
become hollow and empty for us. It is easy
to hide behind a trite phrase or slogan – may our Lenten practice really change
and convert our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment