Affirmation: Lent is a time dedicated to strengthening my faith.
Today, February 14th, is not only Valentines Day it’s Ash
Wednesday. For Catholics it marks the
beginning of one of the holiest seasons of the church year. Practicing Catholics go to Mass or at least
to a Lenten service and have a thumbprint of ashes smeared on their
forehead. The words accompanying the
ritual are "Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt
return." (Genesis 3:19) The ashes normally come from the palms that were
blessed for the previous Easter season.
At my church, St. Michael the Archangel, here in Cary, NC, the practice
includes sprinkling holy water into the dishes holding the ashes. That makes them pastier and then the priest
or the minister can really smear them on.
I don't remember them being so black and pronounced when I was a
child. We are then encouraged not to rub
or wash them off until we would normally cleanse our faces. I found myself eating lunch today at a local cafe and was charmed by the number of Catholics who proudly
proclaimed their faith that day. Let's
face it, it's hard to miss a big black smudge on someone's forehead and it's
the perfect opportunity to share your faith without saying a word.
I live in the Bible Belt which I understand to mean we have a lot
of practicing Christians in this area, many of whom are evangelical. They have a mission to convert the world, the
whole world to Christianity. This is not
the place to live if you are wishy-washy about your faith, unless you're living
in Chapel Hill. (That's a little hint
for anyone reading this who is thinking of moving to our beautiful state.) I've
lived in the Bible Belt now since 1976.
First, I was in Cincinnati, Ohio for ten years and now, I'm here. How is that different from other parts of the
United States? If you look at one of USA
Today's graphs, you will see that the south-east and mid-west areas are shaded
darker when the shading represents the number of people calling themselves
Christians. As the map expands to the
west, California, Oregon etc., the shading becomes lighter and lighter. My experience with this part of the world has
been wonderful. I have noticed that the
people here who are working to be faith filled are kind, caring and
compassionate. I don't think one need be
religious or perhaps even spiritual to have those qualities but when your faith
is an integral part of your life, I believe you are enjoined to raise yourself
up to a higher level of responsibility to lead a more exemplary life.
I know all about the hypocrites, those who
show up at services all holy and righteous only to lead small, mean lives. My experience has not led me to be surrounded
by that type of practitioner. My
experience, especially that of living here in NC, has been one of support and
kindness and compassion from the people who are actively participating in their
faith. Perhaps, I've
just been lucky because even some of my friends who don't belong to an established
religion are loving and compassionate. Could it be, however, that the God
energy of this area has permeated more souls than elsewhere? It's a nice thought. It brings me comfort and hope. Maybe mindfulness in itself encourages people
to live lives of caring and service. Supposedly
there was a study done many years ago that showed when a Transcendental
Meditation seminar was being held, that section of the country had less
crime.
Lent is my favorite time of the year. My part of the world is
gray and wet and soft right now but I know that in just a few weeks everything
will be in full bloom, the Dogwoods, Azaleas, and Daffodils to name a few will
come forth and brighten and color our entire area. It goes from dreary to delightful. It's slow and deliberate and if you pay close
attention, you can see the metamorphosis taking place. That's what I like to imagine is happening to
my inner life too. Lent offers me the
opportunity to grow and blossom, to go from dreary to colorful. It's up to me how I use the time. For me, it's a more deliberate time, an
opportunity to be even more mindful, than any other time of the year. I always hope the changes I'm making stay
with me, as I move into the rest of the year, and hopefully some of my Lenten
practices do just that and that's exactly the reason we are called upon to set
aside this time to develop more self-discipline and to be of greater
service. We are called to pray more,
give alms and to practice acts of denial.
We are called to be more mindful, more intentional about our lives. It's a practice we could use every day not
just during Lent but with Lent comes the deliberate intention to grow our inner
lives, to make us and our world kinder, gentler and more compassionate.
The main question at Lent is, "What are you giving up for
Lent?" I know I could give up wine
or chocolate or some such food item and have the added benefit of reducing my
waistline. In 2014, however, I chose a more difficult practice. I decided to
give up doubt and now, in 2018, I confess I still have "work" to do. I must say, I feel I am now stronger in my faith than in the past but for me, it seems to be the work of a lifetime. When Oprah interviewed
the famed televangelist, Joel Osteen, she asked him if he had ever doubted
his belief in Jesus Christ. He
emphatically answered, "No." I
am still not a Joel Osteen. I am more of a
Thomas. After all these many years of
practicing my faith I still have my doubts.
Let's face it, it's quite a story! That however, is not how I want to
live my faith, the promises are too great.
I want to believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is God incarnate
and that I can have a personal relationship with Him that will enhance my life
and lead me to a place where I reach out to others with pure love. I want to believe that with Him, not only
will I and my loved ones have eternal rest and peace, but that this life will
be a more rewarding experience. I
haven't yet had any direct messages from the spirit world that would allay my
doubts but I don't care. This is how I
want to live my life and for me it seems to require practice and Lent, my
favorite time of the year, offers me that perfect opportunity. "Loving Father, help me to better know
and love Your Son. Amen."
