As Catholics, we receive blessed ashes on our foreheads on this, the first day of Lent, to signify our desire to deepen our relationship with God, cast out obstacles that impede that relationship, and make an effort to incorporate actions which will help us and the Church grow to a greater fidelity to the Gospel. Prayer draws us closer to God, penance, fasting and abstinence help us "clean house" spiritually and thus turn our lives back to God. Our good actions, good works, are directed to helping the poor through financial donations, donations of goods or time. This is the "giving to" aspect of Lent, while the "giving up" is the sweeping clean of attitudes or actions that stand between us and God and our neighbor.
Lent is also the final preparation time for those who are preparing to enter the Church through baptism or a profession of faith. We who have been baptized already, join them by renewing our baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil or on Easter Sunday.
To have a "successful Lent" means a shuffling of our usual routine in order to give enough time to prayer, penance and good works. It is a six week period when we have to make the adjustments to accommodate extra time for reading, prayerful reflection and service. This is where we usually flub it up, for we are so busy or so in a rut, that we find it very difficult to adapt our schedules to the goals of this holy season. Let these ashes on our foreheads sink into our hearts and enkindle the flame of commitment to a "Lent well spent". We owe it to God, to ourselves, to the Church, to renew ourselves and come alive again.
Bro, Rene
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