Gospel Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Story:
A businessman needing to
attend a conference in a faraway city decided to travel on country roads rather
than the freeways so he could enjoy a relaxing journey. After some hours of traveling he realized he
was hopelessly lost. Seeing a farmer
tending his field on the side of the road, he stopped to ask for
directions. “Can you tell me how far it
is to Chicago?” he asked the farmer.
“Well, I don’t rightly know,” the farmer replied.
Well, can you tell me how far
I am from Fond du Lac, WI?” the businessman questioned again.
“Well, I don’t rightly know,”
the farmer again replied. “Can you at
least tell me the quickest way to the main road?” The exasperated businessman asked.
“Nope, I don’t rightly know,”
the farmer again answered.
“You really don’t know very
much at all, do you?” blurted the impatient businessman.
“Nope, not much, but I ain’t
lost,” the farmer calmly answered. (Original Source Unknown)
Lent is a season of spiritual
growth – and possibly we will need to take leave of the “business as usual”
main roads in our lives and risk taking some back roads that may lead us into
spaces within ourselves that we have hesitated visiting. We may find ourselves having to be more
aware or watchful of signs and symbols that gently direct us to the next turn
on our journey. We may even find
ourselves a little lost and having to stop to ask for directions or just sit
listening for the soft and intimate voice of the Divine whispering encouragement
to our fearful and anxious hearts.
It is said that Lent is not
an event – It is not something that happens to us. It is at most a microcosm of what turns out
to be a lifelong journey to the center of the Self. The purpose of Lent is to confront us with
ourselves in a way that’s conscious and purposeful, that enables us to deal
with the rest of life well.
In our gospel today, Jesus
addressees the three pillars of religion in ancient Judaism – prayer, fasting
and almsgiving – the voice of Jesus down the ages warns us about being seduced
into believing that any of the practices, by virtue of their own worthiness, is
really religious.
About those who got their
satisfaction out of standing up in the synagogues or praying on the streets, he
warned his disciples “When you pray, go into your room alone and pray in
secret.”
To those who gave great alms
and in return got great publicity for it, he said, “When you give alms do not
let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
In regard to those whose
fasting was done with public fanfare and insincere distress, he said to his own
followers, “When you fast, dress up, look your best.” In other words, lighten up and smile!
So what is the Good News for
us today?
The story goes that the Holy
Man, Nasrudin was now an old man looking back on his life. He sat with his friends in the tea shop
telling his story.
“When I was young I was fiery
– I wanted to awaken everyone. I prayed
to God to give me the strength to change the world.”
“In mid-life I awoke one day
and realized my life was half over and I had changed no one. So I prayed to God to give me the strength to
change those close around me who so much needed it.”
“Alas, now I am old and my
prayer is simpler, ‘God,’ I ask, ‘please give me the strength to as least change
myself.’”
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