IT’S ABOUT TIME
It’s about time. Here we are at another Ash Wednesday - another Lent. We, along with well over a billion Christians, around the world today - are beginning the Season of Lent. And we enter the season by entering a church like this to formally enter into this season.
It’s about time. Lent is about time - 40 days. If we look at world religions we find the practice of taking special time periods and
days for fasting and emptying, lessening and letting go - as part of one’s traditions. Muslims, Jews,
Christians, Hindus all have special times and days of fasting.
It’s about time. So the first thing on the agenda for today
is to be marked.
In Islam - which follows a lunar or moon calendar - their period of fasting is 29 or 30 days. As you know the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam appearing on many flags. People look for the first sign of the crescent moon marked on the forehead of the sky to begin the season of Ramadan.
For Catholics it’s today - with Ashes put on our forehead. It used to be just Catholics whom could be identifed as Catholics today. Now various Protestant congregations are using ashes as well. May that be one more step towards unity of Christians.
Listen carefully today to the words said as you receive ashes, “Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return!” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
In Islam - which follows a lunar or moon calendar - their period of fasting is 29 or 30 days. As you know the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam appearing on many flags. People look for the first sign of the crescent moon marked on the forehead of the sky to begin the season of Ramadan.
For Catholics it’s today - with Ashes put on our forehead. It used to be just Catholics whom could be identifed as Catholics today. Now various Protestant congregations are using ashes as well. May that be one more step towards unity of Christians.
Listen carefully today to the words said as you receive ashes, “Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return!” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
It’s about time. So during this season we ought to consider
time. We only have so much of it. We have a shelf life. It’s not tattooed on
the side of the package - for example, on our ribs.
At every funeral we attend we notice the casket containing the body of someone who has died - or the person has been cremated and put in a nice box or case with cremains - with ashes. It’s a powerful reminder every time that, “It’s about time.” We only have so much of it. How old am I? How much time do I have left? What’s my bottom line? What’s my final date and final 4 numbers? Will any of us here make it to 2100?
At every funeral we attend we notice the casket containing the body of someone who has died - or the person has been cremated and put in a nice box or case with cremains - with ashes. It’s a powerful reminder every time that, “It’s about time.” We only have so much of it. How old am I? How much time do I have left? What’s my bottom line? What’s my final date and final 4 numbers? Will any of us here make it to 2100?
It’s about time. During this season we take the time to ask
other big questions: Am I having the time of my life? Am I living life to the
full - as Jesus put it. Am I a good
steward of time? Am I living a balanced life? Am I wasting time? What are my
values? Do I see the value of each person? Am I wasting their time?
It’s about time. During this season we take the time to fast
- meaning an emptying - a not having.
Muslims are asked to fast during Ramadan from eating, drinking, smoking, etc. during the day - sunrise to sunset.
Catholics used to say out loud what they are giving up for Lent. I remember hearing of folks who gave up smoking or drinking for Lent and family members wished they didn’t - because they became strident or nasty for the next 40 days. Yet some improved - and were nicer. In our time we’re hearing ideas like fasting from TV or computer or talking, talking, talking - face to face or cell phone to cell phone or I-phone etc. When the electricity goes out, we experience how dependent we are for juice. When we fast we realize what our dependencies and addictions are.
Then what do we do with the time we gain? What do we do with and in the emptiness?
This parish gives out Lenten Booklets. People have said, “Thanks” because they present something different to do for Lent - to do some spiritual reading each day - with gained time from blank screens.
Every once and a while I suggest having a prayer chair in our house - one specific chair. People have told me at various times: “Great idea Father. I’ve been doing that ever since you suggested it.” Have next to it a Bible or a deepening book or a booklet. Have next to it a Rosary. And I love to suggest that a rosary can be used for 10 Hair Mary’s or 53 Hail Mary’s - or for simple prayer beads. Just sit there in your prayer chair and say on the 59 beads, “Lord, have mercy.” or “Thank You God” or “Help” or at night pick out 10 blessings of the day - 10 beads - 5 minutes - then a “Thank You God” or ten times saying, “Thank You God?”
Muslims are asked to fast during Ramadan from eating, drinking, smoking, etc. during the day - sunrise to sunset.
Catholics used to say out loud what they are giving up for Lent. I remember hearing of folks who gave up smoking or drinking for Lent and family members wished they didn’t - because they became strident or nasty for the next 40 days. Yet some improved - and were nicer. In our time we’re hearing ideas like fasting from TV or computer or talking, talking, talking - face to face or cell phone to cell phone or I-phone etc. When the electricity goes out, we experience how dependent we are for juice. When we fast we realize what our dependencies and addictions are.
Then what do we do with the time we gain? What do we do with and in the emptiness?
This parish gives out Lenten Booklets. People have said, “Thanks” because they present something different to do for Lent - to do some spiritual reading each day - with gained time from blank screens.
Every once and a while I suggest having a prayer chair in our house - one specific chair. People have told me at various times: “Great idea Father. I’ve been doing that ever since you suggested it.” Have next to it a Bible or a deepening book or a booklet. Have next to it a Rosary. And I love to suggest that a rosary can be used for 10 Hair Mary’s or 53 Hail Mary’s - or for simple prayer beads. Just sit there in your prayer chair and say on the 59 beads, “Lord, have mercy.” or “Thank You God” or “Help” or at night pick out 10 blessings of the day - 10 beads - 5 minutes - then a “Thank You God” or ten times saying, “Thank You God?”
It’s about time. Lent - it’s all about time. 40 days from
now we’ll be at Easter - Spring - New Life. Lent - it’s a good time to enter
into what is called, “The Secret Garden of our Soul” and do what Jesus did in
gardens: enter into deep communion with Our Father - Our God.
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