In our reading from Isaiah today, we hear about fasting, repenting for our sins, putting on 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 on the first day of our Lenten journey. 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. They do not see the meaning and significance these rituals can have for us if we take them seriously. And hopefully our Lenten disciples will work hand-in-hand to change our hearts, our actions, and our lives. As we begin our Lenten journey this week, may we adopt these disciplines that can change our lives and help us live out the values of our faith that we are called to proclaim. May our fasting and our Lenten rituals not be shallow or empty. Indeed, it is easy to hide behind a trite phrase or slogan. May our Lenten practices really change and convert our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment