"Thank you, Jesus, most Sacred Heart"
Yes, thank you, Jesus.
Opus, I foolishly wrote a post the day before Ash Wednesday saying I would be off the forum for Lent.
Then came all the posts about how unBiblical it is to wear ashes on my forehead, and how unscriptural public lenten customs were and how prideful it is to speak of fasting and how much it is like the Pharisees and so on and on.
How could I have ever thought that entering into 40 days of metanoia and "renewal of my mind" (St. Paul) and seeing "my sins are ever before me" (Psalms) and "can you not watch one hour with Me"? (Jesus) and "fast and pray that you enter not into temptation" --how could I have ever thought that such a practice would be of any help to me? Why, it would be like trying to buy my way or work my way into grace. It would be like thinking I could save myself. How very Catholic that was and how very unBiblical!
And then--then I went to Mass on Ash Wednesday--the place was filled to capacity. A friend told me that at a neighboring parish, there was no more room in the church. This was at an evening Mass when people would go straight home with their ashes on their foreheads and not in public, so they wouldn't seem to be like Pharisees. And I heard the wonderful readings--the last one from the Gospel: "And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
I saw all those people there who wanted to "begin again", who wanted to re-commit, to re-evalaute their lives. They had in their hearts the hidden self-knowledge of their need to forsake their "little sins". They wanted to join in with others who were led to come forward together to seek the Lord with their whole hearts and whole minds and whole lives. They came to pray together for God's grace and strength to look again at all the worldly attachments and character flaws that needed to be recycled into positive values like curbing tempers, and denying some pleasures in order to tithe for those who are in need, or learning how to use more time for prayer ( and maybe less time for cyberspace). They wanted to commit to a closer walk of renewal in the Lord and they wanted to do it together.
I forgot all that talk about unBiblical and Phariseeism and pride. I received my ashes hearing "turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel", as did all the many others there. I'll be thinking a lot these next 40 days about watching my temper, remembering that "charity covers a multitude of sins", that Jesus asked me to "take up my cross and follow Him" and that I have "knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sin" (Luke).
Thank You, Jesus, most Sacred Heart!
How Spirit-filled your words!
I love Lent and Easter more than any other season in the Church. The utter joy of Lent, of the fasts and prayers that allow us to look inward and outward in Christ are so great as we prepare for the Paschal Triduum!
"Repent and believe in the Gospel!" Such humbling words as we stand before our priests as he makes the sign of the cross on our foreheads.
I read Paul to the Ephesians this morning on how we as Christians should live, Chapters 4,5,and 6. This struck me:
"Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth; but that which is good to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers" 4:29
A lot of our posters on the Catholic lists are wonderful in that regard. I only hope that I can follow their example in dealing with our separated brethren.
I'll pray for your temper improving, and you please pray for mine!
Amen, brother! Why, every time I hear, "Remember, man, you are dust and unto dust you shall return" my first thoughts are about how absolutely righteous I am, how completely that righteousness is my own doing, and how much God owes me for being such a good boy and going to church on Ash Wednesday.
And then, my chest swelling with pride in my own self-sufficiency, I kneel down and hear the priest say "Behold, the Lamb of God, happy are we who are called to his supper" and I say, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." And all I can think of is what a big favor I'm doing God by being there!
</sarcasm> for the humor-deprived