From The Pastor
February 21, 2010: First Sunday of Lent
Greetings,
A few weeks ago I was attempting to clean off the top of my desk. Now for me, that is a real challenge. I worked and worked and worked… going over paperwork and mail that I had placed there with the intent that I would get to it in the near future. I don't know why I allow the top of my desk to get so cluttered with important (and not so important) stuff. Finally, it dawned on me. Well, not “dawned”─but rather, I opened one of the drawers of my desk to look for a pen and realized what a mess the inside of my desk was. I figured it out: in order to have a clean outside, I needed to take some time to cleanse the inside.
That’s true of our bodies and our lives. We want to put forth a good appearance by looking good and well-kept; but we let our insides get cluttered with a lot of stuff. That is what Lent is all about. Lent encourages us to take the time to get rid of the clutter on the inside. We do that with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
The interesting thing is that once we get the inside clean, the outside falls into place. A good example of this is the fasting component of Lent. Fasting cleanses our bodies of toxins. Fasting helps us focus on the presence of God. When we fast, our bodies respond to it by becoming slimmer and leaner. When we have worked on our inside and our outside appearance, it reflects the effects of our work and we begin to look better and feel better. The same holds true with prayer. By praying, we take time with our God to talk to God. By centering on the presence of God, it brings us closer to God and our lives reflect that prayer by becoming better, calmer individuals.
It’s always good to clean up the outside of our bodies. During this Lenten season, let's take time to work on our insides as well. May we become closer to Jesus during this season of penance. We can do that by participating in Mass, attending the Friday evening dinners and Stations of the Cross, celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and taking time each day to pray and talk to God. We will not be having a communal penance service this Lenten season, so I urge you celebrate Reconciliation early in Lent so that you are ready for Easter. After March 6, we will have two priests hearing Confessions. I would advise you not to wait until Holy Week to celebrate Reconciliation. Avoid the crowds and come early. Once you get your “inside” clean, you will reflect the presence of Jesus in your life and your outward appearance will be beautiful─mainly because Jesus will shine through you.
Peace,
Fr. Jack