Society today often portrays the Christian life as a lot of rules that sap the fun out of life. In that world view, God is a tyrant who makes unreasonable demands on His people. If you simply glimpse at the first reading today, you might find yourself thinking the same to be true. Don’t do this, don’t do that, all followed by “I am the Lord.” If you look closely the entire reading comes to a focus at the end. All of the things God is showing us to do are to lead to a change of heart. They are to grow and cultivate in us the simple message of: “Love God, and love your neighbor.”
Yes, Jesus is Lord and should be. We must keep His commands and live out our lives as a people set apart. We are in a relationship, a marriage. This covenant between God and man should change us, should make us look different. Just as I, a married man and father, behave differently to other women than I do to my wife; so should you and I behave differently to other ‘gods’ in our life.
I was reading in a book by Bruce Baumann (Catholic to the Core) last night this story about a man who was having some spiritual dryness. The gentleman complained about not having enough time to pray or to be in a relationship with God. After going over his day, with all of its football, fantasy leagues, and television watching; Bruce said something simple but to the point: “Today football was your god.” Lent is supposed to shed a light on our lives, to reveal to us where our false gods are so that we can, in turn, refocus our worship to the One True God, Jesus Christ.
That’s why the Church reminds us that there are three major pillars to Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We can’t forget any one of these. I think today the Gospel reading though reminds us that our fasting and prayer should be leading to the same thing that Leviticus points to; the love of God and neighbor. Our fasting shouldn’t just be to change ourselves, though it should do that. It should be to provide us with a spiritual compass that directs us to take those gifts we have and share them with the world. To feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those in prison, always remembering that in those faces we find our savior reflected.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said: “At the end of our lives we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by: I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in. Hungry not only for bread— but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing— but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a home of bricks— but homeless because of rejection. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.”
I think today we should ask ourselves “At the end of Lent, will I have lived this out?”
A reflection on the readings for Monday of the First Week of Lent, Year 1: March 11, 2019