Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent
Hosea 14:2-10 | Psalm 80(81):6,8-11,14,17 | Mark 12:28-34
Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ (Mark 12:34)
I’ve long thought of scribes as folks who were well-versed in the letter of Mosaic Law, but were sadly deficient in the spirit of said Law, the command to treat each other with the same kind of love and compassion that God dealt with His chosen people.
Today’s Gospel doesn’t change that perception much.
While it’s true that Jesus praised this scribe for speaking wisely, His remark that “you are not far from the kingdom of God” suggests that he still lacks something that keeps him out.
I think that something is practising what he preached.
It’s easy to say, “I have to be kind and understanding to others,” but when others are rude to us, it’s more likely to devolve into an “eye for an eye” shouting match, complete with vulgarities and aspersions cast on the fornicating habits of each others’ mothers.
It’s easy to say, “I’ll give to the poor,” but quite another to give a destitute person any attention at all, much less offer them a few dollars to tide them over for a while longer.
It’s easy to say, “I’ll fast through all the weekdays of Lent,” without giving thought to the obsessions and bad habits we really should be giving up, in place of a meaningless sacrifice of food that we were planning to forego anyway.
That last bit hit home recently, when I realized that fasting had actually become too easy for me. My body had long since adapted to foregoing lunches, and what few hunger pangs I was feeling were easily ignored through the simple act of writing code and conducting discussions.
It’s time to rethink what would constitute a meaningful sacrifice for me.
What about you, brothers and sisters? How has Lent been for you so far, a voyage of self-discovery and a general movement towards our Creator, or simply an inconvenience that pales against the daily struggles of work and family life?
Lord, open our eyes to see what this Lenten season is truly about: a time to rethink, revitalize and reshape our relationship with You. Send us the Holy Spirit, to steer us into the spirit of Christian living, and not just the letter of our Catechism. Amen.