The day has come, a day of fast and abstinence, of ashes and wishes, hopes and plans. Lent begins, a gift of time to enable us to purge and cleanse our souls of attitudes and thoughts that separate us from Jesus and neighbor, and as Pope Benedict said, a time to embrace solidarity with the poor. Today we do not eat meat, we do not snack between meals, and eat only one main meal to remind ourselves through the hunger we feel that Jesus hungers for our love and for our turning away from sin to a more complete living of the message he brought in the two great commandments, love of God and love of neighbor. The ashes remind us of our fragility, our mortality and our resolve to make these forty days a significant moment in our spiritual growth. "Through all your days, [...] keep the Lord in mind, and supress every desire to sin or to break his commandments. Perform good works all the days of your life, and do not tread the paths of wrongdoing.
Do not turn your face away from any of the poor, and God's face will not be turned away from you.
Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing. Whatever you have left over, give away as alms; and do not begrudge the alms you give.
At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him to make all your paths straight and to grant success to all your endeavors and plans." (Tobit 4: 5,7b, 16, 19a)
Bro. Rene
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