The Compass for our Lenten Pilgrimage
February 22, 2012 | II.Grace: That my intentions, actions, and entire life might be purely ordered to the praise and service of my Creator and Lord.
Text: Ps 117
Reflection: Today we receive ashes on our foreheads and head into the desert for 40 days. What will guide us along the way?
We might be inclined to draw up an itinerary for ourselves: I hope to get this, this, and this out of the Lenten retreat. But even if the things we name are good in themselves, we instantly recognize how artificial it all sounds. We did not decide to go into the desert on our own, but only because our Lord went first. And so we have to follow his lead. Plus, we know from experience how quickly we run up against our own limitations and how often we have abandoned our good intentions in the past. How can I count on myself any more this year than last?
The words we hear as the ashes are being traced on our foreheads point the way forward: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” While we are prone to forget the fact, Lent always reminds us that we are creatures. And if creatures, then not isolated individuals. Our very existence points beyond us to our Creator. He alone is the answer to our questions. He alone establishes the itinerary of our pilgrimage and gives us the grace to complete it. (more…)
Posted by Mr. Matthew Baugh, S.J. in II.