(This homily was given on February 22, 2012 (Ash Wednesday) at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18.)
[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Ash Wednesday 2012]
And so I spoke in my homily that
day about the need to persevere in
our Lenten disciplines—especially if and when we’re tempted to give up on them
halfway through the season.
Last year I did the same thing,
and the word that came to mind was “consistency”. So I spoke on that Ash Wednesday about the
importance of being consistent in our
prayer, fasting and works of charity during the season of Lent—and throughout
the year.
So I figured that if it worked
twice, I should try it again this year.
And when I did—when I went before the Lord in prayer to ask for a theme
word to share with you today—what popped into my mind was the word, “cross.”
Now when that happened my first
thought was, “Well that makes sense, Lord, since the season of Lent prepares us
to celebrate our eternal salvation—the salvation you won for us by your
sacrifice on the cross.”
But as I reflected on it a bit
more, I also came to realize that the cross symbolizes (or at least it should symbolize) the two purposes of
this season for us and for all Catholics: deepening our relationship with God,
and improving our relationships with other people.
It’s not one or the other of
those two things; it’s both.
Notice that every cross has two
beams: one is vertical, the other is horizontal.
That vertical beam symbolizes our
relationship with the Lord; the horizontal beam symbolizes our relationships
with other people.
The season of Lent is a time to
bring both these realities together (so that they, hopefully, will stay
together for the remainder of the year!).
We are to work, first of all, at deepening our relationship with God by
spending more time in prayer, and Scripture reading and adoration; and perhaps
by coming to daily Mass and the parish mission; and by getting to Confession if
we need to.
But that can’t be the end of
it. If it is, then we’ve really missed
half the message of this season—and half the message of the Christian life! Remember Jesus said that there are two great commandments: Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.
And that’s where the horizontal
beam comes into the picture. That beam
of the cross symbolizes our relationships with our brothers and sisters. Improving those relationships (and healing
them when necessary) should also be a primary focus for us, especially during
this season of the year. That’s why
“almsgiving” is included among the 3 traditional activities of Lent. Prayer and fasting concern our relationship
with God, but almsgiving directly involves our relationships with our brothers
and sisters.
And it symbolizes more that just
giving money (although it certainly includes that!). To give alms is to extend charity—love—to
one’s neighbor. And that charity can
take many forms.
To forgive, for example, those
who have offended us in any way is an act of charity symbolized by the word
“almsgiving”. (That means if you’re
harboring a grudge against anyone else in your life right now, you need to work
at forgiveness during this Lenten season!)
Visiting a sick relative or
friend is another act of charity symbolized by “almsgiving”. So is showing patience to those who try our
patience. So is giving your time to
worthy causes at your church or in your local community.
Even praying faithfully and
persistently for the needs of others is a form of giving alms—since we’re
asking God to help those people in whatever way they need to be helped.
So I ask you to keep that word
“cross” in your mind during the next 40 days, and to evaluate your Lent by that
standard.
Every once in awhile say to the
Lord, “Lord, am I truly ‘living’ the cross this Lent? Am I really working to improve my
relationship with you and my relationships
with my brothers and sisters?”
And if the answer to either of
those questions is no—then make the changes you need to make, so that when you
reflect on those questions again later on in Lent, you’ll be able to answer
them BOTH with a resounding yes!