In his book The Bible Makes Sense Walter Brueggemann writes: “Conversion, the decision to be God’s holy people, is the entry into alternative consciousness which distances itself from the ways of the culture in which it is placed.” Our American culture is quite individualistic—a Lone Ranger culture. Lent is a time to make a decision to alter our consciousness away from me, myself, and I and toward community. In the coming week let’s decide in a conscious way to be God’s holy people. Let’s be more observant of the times we could reach out into family, parish, community. Maybe stay after weekend Mass a few minutes to chat, attend a parish Lenten service, do something together as a family, pray with someone, notice the cashier, thank someone answering the call of “Cleanup in aisle 7.”  Send an Easter card with a sincere message of gratitude. Above all, be conscious of thought-patterns. Is my first response to a situation “How will this affect me?” “Do I like this?” “Do I have time for this?” Our culture often dictates such thoughts. Lent is the time to put off the older nature. It’s the time to put on the mind of Christ who emptied himself and spent his entire life to inaugurate the kingdom-community on earth.