Cody Beeber
Reflection
As we approach Ash Wednesday, it is important to reflect on the purpose of Lent. Lent is a time of penance and preparation for Easter. As Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, we have an opportunity to do something similar this Lenten season. Before we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter, we shall reflect on our sins and make a renewed commitment to live a more Christ-like life. On Ash Wednesday, we are told, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These may seem like depressing words and terrifying that our death is guaranteed, but the tragedy of death is conquered by our savior, Jesus Christ.
Venerable Fulton Sheen perfectly states, “If we at Mass eat and drink the Divine Life and bring no death of our own to incorporate in the death of Christ through sacrifice, we deserve to be thought of as parasites on the Mystical Body of Christ. Shall we eat bread and give no wheat to the ground? Shall we drink wine, and give no grapes to be crushed? The condition for incorporation into the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and into His glorification is incorporation into His death.” These beautiful words perfectly capture how we should approach our role in Lent. Rather than hanging on the coattails of Christ as He ascends into heaven, we can walk with Christ through so much more. How could we witness our savior love us endlessly and pray for His Church unceasingly and then offer nothing in return?
God’s grace is a gift that we didn’t have to earn, but don’t we have gifts that we can still offer in return? And how open are our hearts in order to receive these gifts? We are people who have denied Jesus like Saint Peter, betrayed Jesus like Judas, and have beaten and nailed Jesus to the cross like the Romans. Our constant sins add to our savior’s suffering and cause our salvation to seem even more undeserving. However, we can also be the people who wipe Christ’s face like Veronica, help carry the cross like Simon, and accompany Jesus at His death like Mary and Saint John.
This Lenten season we should go to confession to allow ourselves to be in a state of grace and combat our faults and failings. We should fast on obligatory days of fasting to grow in faith, repent, and strengthen our will. We can spend less time on technology that fills our day with distraction and instead fill our day with prayer. Every week we can attend stations of the cross to enter into Christ’s suffering and be present to Jesus as a community.
When we sin, our love for Christ may make us feel guilty like Saint Peter sitting at the charcoal fire. When we are enslaved by sin, our temptations from the enemy may make us feel shame like Judas hanging from the tree. As unworthy as we may feel to witness our king suffer and die for our sins, we still should not hesitate to open up our hearts and receive the grace that God is giving us. Rather than questioning how God can love us so much, let us instead question ourselves how we can grow to love God more. Rather than watching our savior die in vain, let us instead die to our sins. Rather than hanging on the tree with Judas, let us instead hang on the cross with Jesus.
