Lenten Reflections

In our first reading today, Moses instructs the people how to be in relationship with God – “to walk in his ways and observe his statutes and commandments, and to hearken to his voice.” And if the people do this, they will be God’s people – a people “peculiarly his own.” Jesus fleshes this out for us today in the Gospel reading. When Jesus begins with “you have heard that it was said,” you can bet Jesus is going to turn our usual way of doing things on its head. We get the advice to love both our friends and our enemies, to do good to those who persecute us. Something peculiar indeed.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns about the dangers of unjust anger. He challenges us to not let hard feelings stand between us and our brother (or sister) in Christ. Such an attitude puts a barrier between us and the Lord. How can we approach the altar in good faith when lingering resentment stands between us and another child of God? Before receiving communion, we recite the most challenging words of the Lord’s Prayer: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is so important that the Lord repeats it after teaching this prayer (Mt 6:14-15). How can we be properly disposed to receive our Lord if we hold grudges?

“When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me” Ps. 138.

Think on the seriously reluctant Jonah, having survived the fish's belly to then walk the enormous city, crying: "40 more days and Nineveh will be destroyed." How astounding that in the first day, the citizens, the king, took him seriously and repented with contrite hearts and formidable penances. And how Jesus, minced no words to the crowd; "This generation is an evil generation...there is something greater than Jonah here." Yet, many did not see.

When a poet proclaims a great poem, life is enkindled. Inherent in poetic metaphors reside remembrance, inspiration, encouragement, truth—illuminates both beauty and injustices—love, prayer and life for poetry comes from the heart and is intended to reach the hearts of others. In essence, poetry—both the creation of verse and a receptive heart—is a gift from God, a gift from the Master Poet.

We have begun the holy season of Lent. Just as we are in our initial fervor of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we pause to celebrate a feast – the Chair of Peter, Apostle. It was to Peter, the impetuous disciple, that Jesus entrusted the beginnings of ecclesia, the organization we now recognize as Church. It was not because Peter was the most organized or the most gifted of the disciples that he was chosen. It was because of his faith. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”, he exclaimed on that day in Caesarea Philippi.