Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
I have been thinking lately about what it means for me as a Christian to go through the season of Lent and about the possibility for spiritual renewal that Lent provides. It seems to me that Lent gives us Christians the possibility of a new starting point in our journey towards God. At times I’ve felt closer to God and at other times I’ve felt farther away. Yet it is often at those times when I feel the farthest from God that I realize that God is there with me and present in the situation. It seems to me that God uses these tough times to show me that he is there with me, and that he will never desert me.
When I realize the extent of God’s love for me, I find myself desiring to be drawn closer to God and to live my life in a way that is pleasing to God. This realization, so it occurs to me, is very close to the heart of Lent itself. During Lent we Christians are called to do go through a process of fasting and self-sacrifice, and yet we understand that the purpose of this self-denial is to lead us step by step to encounter God in a new way in our lives. It is important to realize that this is a process not of our own doing but it is something that God is doing in us.
The theme of a new beginning in ones spiritual life is definitely found in the scripture readings for today. In the first reading, Isaiah speaks out with a warning and a strong admonition to the people of Israel to change their ways. The words of Isaiah sound like a condemnation, but ultimately Isaiah’s message is a positive one. The prophet’s words hold out hope for us, too. They remind us of God’s promise that we can be made clean if we trust in God’s power to renew us and to make us whole. This process of becoming right with God involves not just individual holiness but also a concern for justice and the well-being of others. God promises that, if people truly pay attention to Isaiah’s message, they will be made clean and whole again.
In the gospel reading, Jesus criticizes the scribes and the Pharisees for tying up unbearable burdens and laying them on people’s shoulders. Jesus also teaches that the greatest among his disciples are those who do not exalt themselves but instead humble themselves through their awareness of the ways that they themselves fall short. It seems to me that the Christian humility that Jesus speaks of here is very necessary if we are going to go through Lent and learn something in the process. Otherwise we are just paying lip service and going through the motions.
God loves us and wants to draw us closer to him, but we also must play our part in this process. Each day holds out the possibility of a new beginning in our service to God and others. This is especially true during Lent. I pray that each of us will reflect today on the ways that, with God’s help, we can do our best to begin anew in our spiritual journey.
- Joel Schickel