Come, sit in this chair—be made whole

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. The Ash Wednesday Gospel opens the season of Lent by discussing the three practices that we are expected to take up: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. The Gospel passage is taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount wherein he tells the disciples that he has come not to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law through love. The Law of love is not about external appearances but about the truth in the heart. Perhaps you have been going through the motions of going to Mass but never praying. Maybe you are generous with your friends and family but do nothing to raise up the poor. Do you eat and drink differently in company than behind closed doors? Lent is a time to evaluate the integrity of our lives through our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves. It is less important how we appear to others than how God sees us in secret. If you find any contradictions, Come, sit in this chair—be made whole.

In addition to the regular parish schedule, the sacrament of Reconciliation will be available at parishes throughout the Diocese of Calgary all the Wednesdays of Lent from 7:30 – 8:30pm. Come, sit in this chair—be made whole.

Action: How are you going to express prayer, fasting, and almsgiving this Lent? Make a plan.