Pastor's Column

February 18, 2007

 

I don't know about you, but I still have a poinsettia in the house and here comes Lent in just a couple of days. There is something attractive and almost haunting about Ash Wednesday. I always mark time by Ash Wednesday: another year has truly begun; will this be the last one? 

 

This Sunday's gospel could be summarized as "make the most of the moment!"   Lent is a kind of investment opportunity, if we recognize our chance when it is offered to us. In addition to the traditional three great ways to approach lent, prayer, fasting and almsgiving, Jesus gives us other ways that also pay off in today's gospel.

 

Jesus appeals to our natural desire to be rich when he says "your reward will be great and you will be a child of the most high" if only you love your enemies and are generous with those who hate you (Luke 6:27-38). " How do we do this? By being good to these types of people, praying for them, not talking badly about them behind their backs, and by being ready to forgive them Jesus makes it very clear that these people in our lives are in fact blessings for us, because if we recognize our opportunity, and do the right thing, it will make us rich in the next life and in the sight of God.

 

Lent then is a chance for each of us to once again seize the moment: what area of my life is out of balance? We hear the very heart of the gospel this Sunday:  " Do to others as you would have them do to you." In what areas of my life is this true? What project will the Lord and I together take on for Lent?

 

It really is amazing how much Jesus talks about interpersonal relations in the gospels. This is what is important to our Lord, what he watches for. How we treat others is the best marker for whether we are making progress in the spiritual life. Here again are our best investment opportunities from today's gospel: our enemies, those who hate us, those who have cheated us, those who owe us money, those we are tempted to condemn. No one wants to be around people like this! Why are they so valuable to us? Because they give us our best opportunity to demonstrate our love for God, and every time we do he rewards us, or will reward us, beyond our wildest dreams, if we only recognize the moment when it arrives.