Today is February 16, 2018 A.D. AD stands not for after death or analog to digital, but Anno Domini. This is a Latin phrase that means in the year of our Lord. We are living in the age of the Church, as well as an in between time: in between the time when Jesus experienced life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven to when he will come again.
The author of Matthew shares the account of Jesus comparing himself to a bride groom: “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Mt 9:15). In a sense the bridegroom has been taken from us, in another sense, he is closer to us now than he was when he walked the earth. The fullness of his reign will be consummated when he comes again, but there can be experiences of the foretaste of heaven here and now.
We need food for our survival, but we don’t need as much as we think we do! Fasting provides and opportunity to keep our passions in check. By resisting the impulse of instant gratification, we are able to better discern between apparent goods and the actual Good in our lives. When we are able to begin to navigate through the maze of distractions, temptations, and allurements on a physical level, we can begin to go deeper to begin to see some of the demons that we feed within us such as “distrust, apathy, and resignation” that Pope Francis talked about in his Ash Wednesday homily.
Pope Francis mentioned that these three demons “deaden and paralyze the soul of a believing people.” He continued by stating that: “Lent is the ideal time to unmask these and other temptations, to allow our hearts to beat once more in tune with the vibrant heart of Jesus.” Our goal in Lent is to change our mind, to repent, renew, and reconnect. Let us turn away and resist those temptations that seek to bind us to self and align our will with Jesus, such that our hearts beat as one with his in the same rhythm so to experience the foretaste of the heavenly banquet to come!
Photo: Sacred Heart of Jesus in sanctuary of Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, West Palm Beach, FL
Spiritual Stepping Stones