Work in Progress
The Gospel reinforced this by describing a parable Jesus tells in which a Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee describes all he has given up and does daily for the Lord, while the tax collector asks instead for forgiveness of his sins. This parable ends by saying, “the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This reading and Gospel are a powerful reminder that this time of Lent is not about giving something up for the sake of sacrifice - it is about action. It is about quiet reflection, exemplifying the tax collectors desire for forgiveness in an effort to grow closer to God. What can you do, say, and practice daily that humbles you and starts an honest conversation with God?
This Lent I am working to be more grateful. Grateful for the home I have, the work I do, and the food I eat. I am also giving up meat this Lent. This sounds like a contradiction to the message the reading tells us - isn’t that a sacrifice? My focus this season; however, is to take more time out of my day to stop and think about where my food is coming from, and how blessed I am to have it in front of me. By removing meat from my diet, I can reflect daily on how privileged it is to have easy access to meat, and how that comes at a cost to our environment.
This amazing Earth that God gave us is struggling, and by taking a moment out of my day to make a more sustainable food choice, I feel grateful for being in a position to choose. This, in turn, makes me feel closer to God. I am not as honest or as strong in my relationship with God as the tax collector, but I am working this Lenten season to exemplify his actions instead of those of the Pharisee. I am a work in progress, but I am taking this Lenten season to consciously put in the work to hopefully enter Easter with a stronger relationship with God.
Author: Leanne Applegate, Science Department
Comments
Post a Comment