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Wednesday Reflection - February 21, 2024

Dear Friends,

We are already in the first week of Lent and before I continue, I really want to share with you a story about Ash Wednesday that happened a long time ago.

I was assigned to distribute the ashes to our Religious Education children, and after explaining to them all about Lent, the ashes, and what we were going to do, I began distributing them. As one of the younger children approached me, I moved toward putting the ashes on his forehead.

“Whoa!”, he said. “You’re not putting those hot ashes on my head!”

The ‘whoa’ with a little hand up stopping the placement really got me! After a hearty laugh – imagine that, on Ash Wednesday! – I convinced him that the ashes were not hot, and he allowed me to place them on his forehead. Mission accomplished!

There is a connection between this story and the second ‘BE-attitude’ of Pope Francis. The next ‘BE-attitude’ is to:

You see, there were several ways I could have responded to that wonderful child. It comes under the first reflection question, which asks:

• Am I able to accompany people on their journey, even if their journey is different than mine? Am I able to listen to another’s way of thinking and love them no matter what?
• Am I able to do this when it takes me out of my comfort zone? This is a hard one; each of us thinks we know the right way, and for some, flexibility is just not in their vocabulary. How do I learn to grow when I am being called to be flexible and move out of my comfort zone?
• How do I react when people interrupt my day, especially when I am busy? As simple as it may seem, this is another situation where we need to learn how to be kind and gracious when our own plans are being interrupted. Where do you fall on this scale?
• Can I pause in my own plans to be present to others in their time of need? To be missionary is not to be preachy, but to be present to another when they are in need, and to be willing to sit and listen to them when your first impulse is to quickly search out a way to solve the situation.

In studying these reflections, it becomes easy to see that there is much more to giving of yourself than simply giving up candy or soda, television, or other creature comforts during Lent. May your week be filled with all kinds of ‘whoa!’ moments!

 

Till next week,

Sister Theresita