During the season of Lent, the Lord invites us to “set things right.” In Isaiah it definitely sounds like we are given a choice. But we might also read that it is an ultimatum. Still, I think that if we are more discerning here, The Lord is clearly offering us a very attractive invitation, not an either/or situation. Yes, it is clear that if we don’t accept the invitation, we are pretty much doomed. Yet, I think that the Lord is really trying to reason with us as mature people of faith who know we are dealing with God, not just someone who is trying to make a deal with us.
Because they come from God, I read invitation into all the readings for today. In the Psalm we read of the generosity of God to those who go the right way. Why would we just pay lip service to God’s statutes, hating them all the while as yokes of discipline? That is the way children think of discipline and rules. It seems more adult to look to God for guidance, instruction and encouragement. That instruction and encouragement comes today in the form of an invitation. We are invited to make justice our aim, redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, and defend the widow. In so doing, we shall see the salvation of God. We are invited to cast away all our misdeeds so that we can make for ourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Lent is the time to focus on making for ourselves a new heart and a new spirit. As such, it is about more than just ceasing to do evil and learning to do good. As I reflect on the lessons today, I hear instruction and invitation, not an ultimatum. God does not want obedience that looks like burnt offerings, but faithfulness that offers praise to God as a sacrifice. This is also the time to learn to be humble. Being among the upright who have seen the salvation of God could be a heady trip if we do not take seriously the invitation to make for ourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Each new Lenten season is a new opportunity for that sort of renewal. I give thanks for this gift of the Church to bring us closer to the word of the Lord during Lent. There are more opportunities to hear the word of God and to pray together at this time. It is a very special invitation that I pray all Christians will hear and accept, and it is up to each of us to humbly invite others to this time of “setting things right” with God in the same spirit that it is extended to us.
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
