Turn Back to the Lord
It’s Ash Wednesday again. The start of another Lent. I love Ash Wednesday…it’s the one day of the year where you can be out in public and see clear as day other believers, others who love our Lord so much that they’re not afraid to wear the very public sign of ashes on their foreheads. It’s a beautiful reminder that we are not alone, that evil has not won, that our God is so very good. In prayer the last few days I’ve been reflecting a lot about when Lent means. The first thing that comes to mind is that it’s a time to sit down, take a deep breath, and begin to take a serious inventory of my life. It’s crucial to be really honest. Where on my long list of priorities does God fit in my life? I want to say He’s at the very top. I want to say that God alone has that central place at the core of my heart. But is it true? Really really? How often do I let something else have that place? Lent means making a spiritual about-face. Turning around. Turning wholeheartedly back to God. It means acknowledging that I am weak and frail and that the only thing I manage to do with any real consistency is sin. But I can’t stop there. I have to then come to the realization that I am deeply, desperately in need of a savior. And thank You, Jesus, I have one. Sometimes I think, why do I need a special season for turning back to God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving? Shouldn’t I live this way all year? It’s true. But I know in my heart of hearts that it’s not working out that way. And so we have this most beautiful, grace-filled 40 days; like stepping into a cold shower, each new Lent is a wake-up call, a chance to step back and re-evaluate, to go deeper, to respond to the Beloved who is constantly seeking us. He’s forever standing at the door of our hearts, knocking, waiting for us to quiet our minds and hearts enough that we hear Him. Be assured, He is always knocking…if we don’t hear Him, it’s only because we’re “upstairs,” too far from the door, and making too much noise. Lent is that time where we redouble our efforts to quiet all the internal and external racket so we can hear that only sound that really matters. Shhh…listen…do you hear Him?
Sr. Mary Grace
