“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well. Matthew 6:16-18 (The Message)
Lent is coming up this week as we celebrate Ash Wednesday on February 22. Interesting that Ash Wednesday falls on that date, because February 22 is my mother’s birthday. My mother was a devout Catholic, and she observed the church’s rules on Lenten fasting. I know that she also added her own extra fasting rules and did not proclaim these to others. She just had her own disciplines, and she adhered to them rigidly, all in the name of “offering it up to God” for the sake of her family and others. That was her mindset until the day she died.
During Lent, Christians are often encouraged to fast (that is, to give up for a period of time) certain foods, pleasures, or practices in order to prepare for the celebration of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Ash Wednesday calls to mind, with the imposition of ashes, that “from dust we came, and to dust we shall return”. The reminder of course, we are all going to die.
Preparing for death is not something that inspires our best energies. Better I think to consider it another way. So, since we have limited time on earth, how do we redeem that time in the best possible way? How do we live out our faith in the example that Jesus taught us? How can we bring heaven to earth even in a small way? In other words, the big question is, how do we choose to live?
In the next few days, I will share some more thoughts on fasting and Lent. I hope you stay tuned…
Prayer: Lord, during this Lenten season, help us to prepare our hearts in meaningful ways, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 