palm sunday burnt

Hopefully, by this point, we are fashioning ourselves as a Lenten people who resemble humble and contrite Dr. Jekylls instead of the woe-is-me, look-at-me Lenten Mr. Hydes. As we carry on in Lent, laying the groundwork for what not to do is important. It's almost more important that focusing on what to do properly. Why? Because in our fallen nature, isn't it always so much the easier for us to fall into temptations and inflate our egos than it is to abstain from temptations and step away from the lime-light? Of course it is. That's why we as Lenten people must identify potential pitfalls that await us in the shadows to hamper our Lenten observances at the beginning. Then we will have adequate armour to see us through the next forty days.

We must fight against laziness. We must dive into Lent because it is what God calls us to do. Not because our priest, preacher, or reverend has it on the calendar and everyone who is everyone will be at that nice, comfortably heated sanctuary service, but because we need Christ at our center. And if we come in just to get the black on our foreheads and quietly shuffle out the backdoor without taking part in the Eucharist, we are kidding ourselves. Again, from Father Larry Richards, " 'Can I just come and get ashes, I don’t want to go through Mass?' And I said, 'Are you out of your mind? You... haven’t a clue - 'Can I have the ashes?' Shut up! Here is the God of the Universe who is going to give us His life and some people say, 'can I just get ashes?'. If you want ashes, go outside and get dirt and put it on and look good. That is all it is. Ashes are nothing, you do realize that. They are nothing. They are Palm Sunday burnt. They don’t tell you anything, they don’t do anything for you, they just give you a nice black mark on your face. That is it. But God, the God of the Universe, is here at this Mass, and He will give us His own Body and Blood. 'Well, can I just have ashes?' Whoever even thought that has not a clue who Christ is. Sorry."

Strong words, but we are men of faith. Men of God. We have to do more than just pay lip service to the man from Galilee we claim to follow. Claiming the name in speech is not enough, we prove our love and devotion to Him by nothing short of intense action. Lent is an indisputable playing field for our actions to take birth and grow. We must use it. We must show Christ through Lent - and not by proclaiming and boasting, but by our own inward discipline, contrite hearts, and worldly sacrifices for heavenly minded gains. For as we are inwardly disciplined, our light will shine out into the world without us having to speak a word.