They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
“Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”
In this passage from the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord seems pleased that the people demand of God, "Why do we fast and you do not see it?"
He might reply, "Well now, since you asked, I'll tell you...."
As they say, "Be careful what you ask!"
Lent is that season when we ask the Lord to show us how we have offended. Some people might say, "How can the Lord of Heaven and Earth, the God who created the Universe, be offended by anything humans do?"
We can answer in two ways. First, there is the sin against his holiness and goodness. If someone slights or overlooks me, I might not take it personally. Perhaps I didn't notice; perhaps I quickly forgot it. But the insult to my dignity is there. If the person is a little boy, his parent might say, "Now apologize to Father." Then the child will say, "I'm sorry!" and I will give both of them a sign of reassurance, "I forgive you."
The sin may not be taken personally but the violation, large or small, is real and requires atonement. Sins against God's goodness, wisdom, mercy, beauty, compassion, holiness and so forth are offensive. They may not hurt God (who is infinitely beyond our most powerful weapons and is Happiness Itself) but they might do unspeakable harm to ourselves. They cannot be dismissed or wished away.
Secondly, we believe the Lord of All does in fact take a keen interest in our affairs. We may be only the third rock from the Sun but the Son of God has been born among us, one of our own children. The Lord hears the cry of the poor and anyone who does wrong to the poor, the vulnerable, the weak or the small among us will suffer the consequences. Ignore that warning at your own peril.
The Church gives us Lent and teaches us to be grateful for this time of penance. Saint John has warned us, If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Entering this season we leave our sense of entitlement at the door and humbly ask the Lord to show us how we have sinned.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.