“Yikes….Lent Is Here” 

It’s endearing when you see a little child cry out, “hey, look at me…watch me….me-me-me.” It’s not so cute when the person happens to be 25 or 75 years old. While  I may be a bit more subtle in camouflaging my “attention seeking”, it’s still pretty obvious. It seems that there’s something in us that is always looking for attention…”oh look at me…… did I happen to mention that I won the poetry prize in 5^th grade, and did I tell you I just got a promotion at work and my team won the Super Bowl, and, and …… .” 

The Lord speaks clearly about who we should perform our good deeds for; and it’s not for the crowd at the local Pub. In the reading from Matthew 6, Jesus says: “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. …. but when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. The Lord says the same thing about when we pray and fast, ….”and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Mt. 6:1-18)

So Dave what are you giving up for Lent? “ Well, I’m fasting for the complete 40 days while running up and down the street with a hair shirt  on, and I’ll be giving out cash to all my fans…. oh did I tell you what I did last Lent….bla,bla,bla.”

An Ash Wednesday meditation by Fr. Philip Nolan presents a nice response to this dilemma. “We could spend our lives trying to be noticed by others. But Jesus is clear: only one set of eyes matter in the end— the eyes of the Father. He sees in secret. He sees what is hidden. More than our performance, he sees our hearts….Jesus invites us to live under the gaze of the Father who is hidden. Christ calls us to dedicate to our loving Father the secrets of our lives: our thoughts, our desires, our sacrifices, our prayers. And he assures us, in the Father’s gaze, we will find the one reward that truly satisfies.”  (Magnificat Lenten Companion,2-14-24) 

So we can offer the simplest sacrifice, the briefest prayer, the smallest donation, the most meager fast…so insignificant that no one can notice it except our Father in heaven, and that will be really good. As Mother Teresa said, “ there are no great things, only small things done with great love.”

“So father in heaven, may we remember your hidden gaze and learn to delight in pleasing you, even when no one else sees what I do.” (ibid)