Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 (NRSV)
Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near--
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
nor will be again after them
in ages to come.
Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD, your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
assemble the aged;
gather the children,
even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her canopy.
Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD,
and do not make your heritage a mockery,
a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
`Where is their God?'"
Psalm 103 (BCP., p.733)
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (NRSV)
We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
"At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you."
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 (NRSV)
Jesus said, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Blog Reflection
New England and the Northeast part of the United States has record snow fall. The tensions concerning the horrific violence of ISIS are escalating. We continue to witness more grand standing on the part of the Judges in Alabama about the freedom to marry. Our Congress is at a stand still over whether or not to fund Homeland Security that protects Americans at home and abroad. The regular assaults on those who are disabled and retired haunts our consciences when comments are made that those receiving Social Security benefits "are gaming the system." A judge in Texas has made a ruling on Pres. Obama's Executive Action to improve our broken immigration system. Turmoil, prejudice and oppression are all around us.
Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent are God's gift to us today. As the events of the world present us with the inescapable reality of human suffering, the Church invites us to journey with Jesus for the next forty days beginning with a stark reminder of our mortality. The imposition of ashes on our foreheads accompanied by the words, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" bring us face to face with how quickly life as we know it is passing away. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians tells us that now is the time of salvation. There is a sense of urgency in those words; an almost military style wake up call. There is a lot to do. We have so much to celebrate. As St. Benedict wrote in The Rule, "the Lord waits for us daily to translate into action, as we should, his holy teaching." (Prologue vs. 35).
Regarding the observance of Lent, St. Benedict wrote,
"The life of a monk ought to be a continuous Lent. Since few, however, have the strength for this, we urge the entire community during these days of Lent to keep its manner of life most pure and to wash away in this holy season the negligences of other times. This we can do in a fitting manner by refusing to indulge evil habits and by devoting ourselves to prayer with tears, to reading, to compunction of heart and self-denial. During these days, therefore, we will add to the usual measure of our service something by way of private prayer and abstinence from food or drink, so that each of us will have something above the assigned measure to offer God of his own will with the joy of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:6). IN food, drink, sleep, needless talking and idle jesting, and look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing" (RB 1980: The Rule of St. Benedict in English, Chapter 49:1-7, p.71).
My Superior, Abbot Robert Cotton, OSB remarked in our CSL Newsletter for Lent, that while others focus on what to give up in the next forty days; St. Benedict wrote about "adding to the usual measure." Abbot Robert suggested that,
"Lent is not a time of “giving up” so much as it is a time of contemplation, preparation and a time to move forward in our quest for a more perfect union with God. It is a time to make sure our priorities are right and aligned with our goal. As monastics, we are called to do this not just once a year, but daily. In keeping Christ at the center, a life of Lent becomes the natural expression of our desire to become Christ like. This is not privation; this is Life itself."
Whether one is a monastic, a Priest, Lay Member, Bishop, or Deacon, whatever our path of life might be; we are all hungering and longing for more than the food on our tables or that something we are setting aside. Lent is our time to do something more in our relationship with God. We are to do more than pay the usual lip service of going through the rituals and motions. Jesus tells us in the Gospel today, to do more not for the sake of being seen by people so as to gain human respect or for notoriety's sake; but, so that we grow closer to God in a bonded relationship of love, faith and trust.
It is important that whatever we may be setting aside over the next forty days, that we replace it with doing something for God and others. There is always a tremendous need to be fulfilled by the work of Episcopal Relief and Development. IntegrityUSA needs the support and prayers of everyone as they continue their work for a greater inclusion of LGBT people in the Church and Society. David R. Henson wrote a terrific post in Pathoes about spending Lent in which Black Lives Matter to address the racism that is around us. It is also important to do things such as turning off the TV and/or the computer to communicate (not just talk with, but actually communicate) with our spouses and families. Spend some time thinking about our prayer life, our attitudes towards others and addressing those things in our lives that make union with God a bigger obstacle than it needs to be.
Whatever we do this Lent, may we all take time to meditate on the reality that God is so madly in love with all of us, that God gives us the next forty days to draw closer to us. As we rediscover the wonder of God's love that includes the suffering and death of Christ; may we also grow in a deeper bond with God's presence with reverence and respect for our neighbor. May our hearts and minds bow in worship as God makes God's being visible to us those relationships in which God wants us to respond in love, self-sacrifice and the hope of resurrection.
May God bless us all in our journey of Lent this year.
Amen.
Prayers
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have
made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen. (Collect for Ash Wednesday, The Book of Common Prayer, p.217).
Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony
and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to
take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Prayer Of The Cross, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 252).
Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 260).
