Angel of Independence, by Carlosr chill via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0,
In Mexico City, there is a monument known as the Ángel de Independencia, or the Angel of Independence, which sits aloft a tall spire, arm outreached to the square below, bearing a shining crown of victory, golden wings pointing toward the sky, all commemorating the independence of Mexico. Inside the monument, there is a winding staircase and to get to the top, you must utilize this staircase, which is small, dark, and seems almost endless. When you get to the top, however, you are greeted by a magnificent view of one of the centers of commerce and tourism in Mexico City, the Plaza Reforma and you realize that despite the work, sweat, and apprehension, the trip up the stairs was well worth the effort. This, my friends, is Lent.
Lent is hard work, but it is worth the effort. During these 40 days, we journey with Jesus Christ through the desert, and learn that “one does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Among our daily concerns and activities, we remember through the journey of Lent that everything we do and say must be focused on God, for from God we receive all our blessings and our very lives. In Lent, we seek to pray, fast, and give in order to reorient ourselves towards God and His Word.
Our Lenten sacrifices and journey would carry no meaning if we did not remember the reason for it all: the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. “The gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ” renews us and justifies us, and it is this sacrifice and gift of Jesus that gives Lent its fullest meaning. By journeying with Him in the desert for these forty days, we are led with Him to the Cross on Good Friday. From the Cross, we are led to His tomb, and from His tomb, we are led to the moment where our faith is ratified. Through the long dark staircase of Lent, which we climb together with Jesus Christ, we will come out into the glorious light of Easter morning. Let’s make the trip worth our effort, remembering that He is at the center of it all.
For Reflection:
In what way, perhaps outside the “usual” Lenten sacrifices, can I pray, fast, or give, to make this Lent meaningful for myself and others?
A version of the preceding originally appeared in our parish bulletin.
If last week’s readings showed us the importance of prayer, then this week’s readings demonstrate how we should pray: in humility, trusting God. In our society, how often do we see famous personalities exalting some good work they have done? While not everyone is like this of course, we often see celebrities and others praising their own virtues, showing off their good deeds to the world. The same attitude is seen with the Pharisee in today’s Gospel, who shouts aloud his apparent virtues, going so far as to say to the Lord, “I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity!” The Pharisee, like some famous individuals we see in modern times, was saying and doing all the “right things,” but did he have the right intent or disposition? After all, while our external actions carry great weight and consequence, in the end, it is the final disposition of our hearts that God examines.
What does it mean to “pray without becoming weary” or perhaps in a more familiar formulation, to “pray without ceasing?” I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a pretty tall order! We are bombarded constantly by outside distractions, some of which are even good and necessary. Even so, we are called to make our lives ones of prayer and reliance on God. The psalm reminds us today that “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth,” and so we need to constantly turn to Him, being persistent in our faith, whether it is “convenient or inconvenient.” All we have is from God, and so all that we do needs to be directed towards Him.
The Believing Astronomer 