Compassion might be called the fullness of divine and human perfection. Whatever God does, God does with compassion founded upon humility. That’s the way God works. How do we know? We see compassion in Jesus. As you read the Passion Narrative of Mark on Palm Sunday or that of John on Good Friday, pay attention to God’s compassion. Jesus doesn’t embarrass Judas who exits the Last Supper. Jesus lets the sleeping apostles in Gethsemane rest. Jesus forgives the denial of Peter, the treachery of Judas, the abandonment of his apostles. He replaces the severed ear of the soldier. Jesus takes care of his mother from the cross. And always with humility, accepting the persons, accepting the situations, accepting the cross.
Be humble enough to clear your calendar to make room for the Holy Week services. If you cannot attend, read the Passion Narratives. Take time to learn by heart the sentences that make your heart skip a beat.
“Who is that guy riding on a donkey?” The town gossips said they knew: he was the fanatical preacher who talked about eating his body and drinking his blood. “Come on. Let’s join the crowd. Just yell ‘Hosanna!’”
And so, they walked the streets behind a donkey. They heard shouts of “God save the Son of David!” Narrow streets carried the echoes: “Hosanna!” “Blessed!” Looking for distraction, people called to by-standers, “Come along. Join the crowd. Shout ‘God save him!’”
“Yes,” the man on the colt thought, “God save him.”
It’s too early to get serious about spring cleaning, unless the cleaning is for your heart. We all have spots in our personalities that could use some scouring. We might also attend to the good we do to make sure it’s from the best motives. A little dusting, a little polishing of our character is always in order. If you haven’t been to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you might look for a Day of Grace or a Penance Service. Take heart that God understands our weakness. Set your heart on God’s infinite forgiveness.
The prophet Isaiah claims that our light will break forth like the dawn when we perform the fasting God requires: “setting free the oppressed…sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless, clothing the naked.” The dawn will break forth in new possibilities when the “just man justices” (Gerard Manley Hopkins). Lent may be a time to renew our involvement in issues of peace and justice. We need to “justice” our nation, our family, our workplaces. What we do will “peace” together any divisions our injustices have caused. Don’t be half-hearted. Ask God to enlighten your heart so that you, too, like the Father may “so love the world that he gave his only Son.”
You’ve been obeying Church laws since Ash Wednesday; that is, no meat on Fridays, no eating between meals on Ash Wednesday, attending Mass every weekend. But there’s a lot more to obedience than following the rules. The word “obedience” comes from a Latin word meaning “to listen.” Halfway through Lent, it’s a good time to listen. Set your heart on spending ten minutes a day listening to God. Just sit quietly, and let God tell you “I love you.” Perhaps you’ll feel your heart skip a beat.
Peter, James, and John fell on their faces in terror before the dazzling sight of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. After hearing a voice, the three cautiously looked up. “They no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone.” “Jesus alone.” What a beautiful phrase to keep in our hearts this week! May our journey through Lent bring us to Jesus alone. Get close to Jesus in a heart-to-heart talk, and let his virtues rub off on you. For which virtue will you ask the Lord? Put on the virtue you need most, and let your heart be transfigured.
I had never heard of World Day of Social Justice. Of course, there’s probably a day for everything from pizza and ice cream to wildlife and employee appreciation. In our world where discrimination, war, poverty, hunger, homelessness, and other ills caused by injustice crowd out human decency and good will, there certainly should be attention to Social Justice Day. How will you observe the day? Gerard Manley Hopkins writes that the “just man justices.” The Jesuit poet turned the noun “justice” into a verb. Justice acts, contacts lawmakers, digs community gardens, stocks food pantry shelves, votes, keeps up with current events, supports non-profit organizations. The list is long and the needs are longer. Could you “justice” something on the list?
The message is clear on this first Sunday in Lent: Repent! It’s a message that echoes that of Ash Wednesday and gets to the heart of the matter. Mark’s gospel adds “This is the time of fulfillment.” How do you need to be “fulfilled” as a human being, a spouse or family member, a coworker, a retired person? As needed, repent your past and look to the rest of Lent with hope that God will fill your heart with His own love.
I have started reading Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It has been chosen for a book study for the Sisters of Notre Dame and their associates. Its genre eludes me. Are its chapters stories or essays? Is it a book of poetry, the typeset only looking like prose? Though I am only on page 33, I have found nuggets of wisdom, delightful metaphors, embarrassing historical events, knowledge of botany, and appreciation for Native Americans. Today I considered the fact that people are “the younger brothers of creation.” How true! The last creatures to appear were humans. We are the baby brothers and sisters of moon, stars, mountains, oceans, birds, fish, insects, and all other living and non-living creatures. We generally think we’re at the top, most important, most conscious, the ones in charge. How much better our planet would be if we remembered we’re the latecomers, the youngest siblings.
As you made your Lenten resolutions, remember that Lent is not a self-improvement challenge. Our almsgiving and penance should reach out to the world. Giving up dessert is good, but do we pay a bit extra to buy food produced ecologically? Forgoing media is a great penance, but do we give the time we save to service? We read in the prophet Joel “Return to me with your whole heart.” Will you give your whole heart in best practices for the whole human family this Lent?