When Salome, the mother of James and John, asked Jesus to place them at his right hand when he established his kingdom, he in turn asked, "Can you drink the chalice that I'm going to drink?" (Mt 20: 22). They said they could, and Jesus told them they would. Little did they know then that it would be the chalice of suffering, and for James, death.
Sometimes our blind enthusiasm moves us to make statements and promises whose scope and impact we cannot foresee. Can we, do we want to hold to our word? This second week of Lent might shed a ray of reality on our proposed Lenten "project". Is what we chose to do realistic? Helpful? Our constant template and overriding concern should be whether or not we are eliminating obstacles to our goal of a deeper knowledge and love of Jesus. Are these prayers, sacrifices and good works helping us to serve and not be served, to "give our lives as a ransom for others?" (cf. Mt 20:28)? As the weeks of Lent proceed, may we stop frequently to reflect on and evaluate our progress. Are we drinking the cup, or are we choking on it?
Bro Rene
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