Today’s gospel passage comes just after Jesus, exasperated by the Pharisees, scolds them: “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!” They have gotten so caught up in the externals of their religion that they forget about the people they could be serving.
Jewish laws about food were complex and revered. Jesus says that rather than worry about what goes into our mouths, what really counts is what comes out of our hearts: evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
I’m pretty good at skipping the murder and adultery categories, but I’m not so sure about envy, arrogance and folly. Maybe this is the year to look at Lent in a new way. There have been years when I “gave something up” for Lent – like chocolate or beer. But maybe this year, we could think of new ways to love our families even better. What if I gave up gossip for these weeks? If I take the time to examine my heart and see that I don’t always treat my spouse with loving care, changing my behavior might be a much better focus for Lent than avoiding beer.
I’m not suggesting that we not give something up for Lent. In fact, I am suggesting that we reflecting on what we give up. It may help to look at it in a more positive way: What do I need to change about myself to free myself and open my heart more to God?
How often am I selfish or jealous? How often do I judge others harshly? Can I be more patient with my children and less abrupt to my co-workers? I suspect I would be better off eating chocolate (something that goes into my mouth) and focusing this Lent on holding off on my arrogance and judgments of others (something from deep in my heart).
The God who loves us so endlessly, is waiting for us with joy this Lent, with a great gift for each of us. All we need to do is ask for it every day, and that will help us get ready for Lent.
This reflection is taken from the archives, for these readings in 2015.
Maureen McCann Waldron
The most important part of my life is my family – Jim my husband of 47 years and our two children. Our daughter Katy, a banker here in Omaha, and her husband John, have three wonderful children: Charlotte, Daniel and Elizabeth Grace. Our son Jack and his wife, Ellie, have added to our joy with their sons, Peter and Joseph.
I think family life is an incredible way to find God, even in (or maybe I should say, especially in) the most frustrating or mundane moments.
I am a native of the East Coast after graduating in 1971 from Archbishop John Carroll High School in suburban Philadelphia. I graduated from Creighton University in 1975 with a degree in Journalism and spent most of the next 20 years in corporate public relations in Omaha. I returned to Creighton in the 1990s and completed a master’s degree in Christian Spirituality in 1998.
As our children were growing up, my favorite times were always family dinners at home when the four of us would talk about our days. But now that our kids are gone from home, my husband and I have rediscovered how nice it is to have a quiet dinner together. I also have a special place in my heart for family vacations when the kids were little and four of us were away from home together. It’s a joy to be with my growing family.
Writing a Daily Reflection is always a graced moment, because only with God’s help could I ever write one. I know my own life is hectic, disjointed and imperfect and I know most of us have lives like that. I usually write from that point of view and I always seem to find some sentence, some word in the readings that speaks right to me, in all of my imperfection. I hope that whatever I write is in some way supportive of others.
It’s an incredibly humbling experience to hear from someone who was touched by something I wrote. Whether the note is from someone across campus or across the world, it makes me realize how connected we are all in our longing to grow closer to God.
