| Parish of St. Edward the Confessor Daily Lenten/Easter Reflections |
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March
1, 2008
By Jean Padula |
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| Reading 1 |
| Psalm |
| Gospel |
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Text
of Reflection: The readings today contrast two patterns of religious
living. The first is that of a person who fasts, prays regularly, pays
tithes and attends church faithfully. The second is a person who
reaches out to others, loves them unconditionally, and serves them as
the Lord leads. One could say these are two different approaches to
living a life which, hopefully, is pleasing to God.
If I had to pick one over the other, (and I probably
have on innumerable occasions), I'd pick the life of prayer and church
attendance. That's a life which is neat, organized, and comfortable.
That's a life where I can be in control of what happens, and I like
that. I can decide which part of my day is for prayer, and how
many Masses a week I'll attend. I decide if and when I'll fast, and
what part of my income goes to the Lord's work. At the end of each day
I can feel like a good person, who can put an imaginary check mark
after every devotional assignment I've given myself.
It is not so for the other spiritual approach. When my
top priorities are love, mercy and obedience, I give up control over my
life. I just never know when the Lord will tap me on the shoulder and
direct me to befriend a lonely soul, contribute to a worthwhile cause,
involve myself in the life of a struggling family. There is no end to
the list of what the Lord might ask me to do, (just as there's no end
to what He does for each of us). My life can become filled with
inconveniences and entanglements over which I have no control. Gone are
the familiar rhythms and routines of a life I would choose for myself.
At the end of the day, there may be no satisfying sense of completion
because I've opened my heart to the Lord, and He's shown me how much
more there is to be done.
It's no wonder one of the ongoing themes in the Bible
has to do with God's desire for our love and obedience over sacrifice.
It's an unpopular concept with us humans, so we have to be constantly
reminded that it's important to the Lord.
Of course, the Lord isn't asking us to choose between
these two approaches to a full life in Him. We just need
to remember that praying and fasting are not the ends in
themselves. Their value lies in the fact that they bring us to the
threshold through which we are drawn to a closer relationship with our
Lord. Inside that relationship, He can reveal to us who's to be loved
and served in His name. Our spiritual devotions, therefore, prepare us
to be the lover and servant of others, living the life which is
pleasing to God.
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