In our Gospel reading from today Jesus presents us with the three pillars of Lent, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. With each pillar he cautions his disciples to resist the temptation of engaging in these spiritual practices such that the focus is placed on us, such that we believe we ought to receive accolades for our efforts. The purpose of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting is to grow in true humility which is placing ourselves in a posture of surrendering our will to God, to come to a place within our being that we can love as Jesus loves us, to will the good of the other as other for their own sake.
We give to others not “to win the praise of others”, not even to receive thanks, but specifically because another is in need of our help. We pray, not “that others may see” us, to puff ourselves up, but to empty ourselves out into the arms of our Father, recognizing how dependent on him we really are. We fast not “to look gloomy like the hypocrites”, so to draw attention to ourselves, but we fast to discipline ourselves such that we are not enslaved to our passions, but to discipline ourselves, to begin to: walk on the path of freedom for excellence and engage in the fullness of life God made us for.
Today as we receive our ashes, and even if there are those reading who do not, we are reminded that from dust we came and to dust we will return. We are created beings, finite beings, that are given a limited time to live our life. This is important to acknowledge so that we resist the temptation of taking our life, the gift of our time on this earth for granted. We are also reminded to repent and believe in the Gospel. Let us turn away from sinful thoughts, words, and actions, and instead turn back to face our loving God and Father who awaits us with arms wide open.
Through participating in almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, may we come to experience and embrace this Lent our restlessness, and seek not to appease our restlessness with finite, material things that will not last, but come to recognize that the only solution is to find our rest in the One who has made us for himself.
Photo: Jesus awaiting our embrace at the Rosary Garden, St Peter Catholic Church, Jupiter FL
Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, February 14, 2018:
Spiritual Stepping Stones