Lenten Reflection

Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them; otherwise,
you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward. But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and
on street corners so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear
to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

Reflection
Rev. Mark T. Cregan, C.S.C. '78
President, Stonehill College

Many times when students receive their syllabi at the beginning of a semester, they feel overwhelmed with the amount of work they will have to do over the next 16 weeks. Papers and presentations, exegesis and exams, looked at all at once, create the impression that students will never be able to do "all the work" assigned for the semester.

Likewise, when we gather on Ash Wednesday and we are invited to enter into the penitential season of Lent, we can feel overwhelmed. We recognize, at the same time, the goodness of God and our own sinfulness. We know how hard it is to change and turn away from behaviors and attitudes that can cause harm to ourselves and others. We know that the 40 days of Lent is not a very long period of time and that our need for conversion is great.

But, like the semester workload which we accomplish little by little, week by week, the task of conversion is a gradual practice where we discover the grace of God working within us and guiding us to a new and deeper understanding of God's love for us and our response to that love. It is in this context that the Ash Wednesday "practices" of prayer, fasting and giving alms to the poor come into play. These are concrete activities that allow us to enter into the spirit of the Lenten season by reminding us of our need for and our dependence upon God.

Let these 40 days of Lent be a time for us to grow in our spiritual life as we continue our academic journey here at Stonehill College.