Lent is Change

Do not jump to conclusions. It is all too easy to attempt to predict or define someone's intent with absolute precision. It may be that a coworker or friend or family member has earned one's judgement by habitually behaving in a way that seems to preclude change for the better. It may be that one's trust has been violated so many times that the heart is beaten and bruised to the point that mercy and forgiveness and trust seem impossible. Without God's grace, we can easily descend into a prison of mistrust and despair. As long as someone is alive, there is a possibility for that person to change - for us to change - and to offer a heart to God that becomes a home for Him in which to dwell, a heart that expands in charity toward others.

Charity, by which God and neighbor are loved, is the most perfect friendship. – St. Thomas Aquinas

Risk forgiveness. We may be comfortable or feel strong - or so it may seem - by holding a grudge that we imagine will give us control over that which threatens to rob us of power, of reputation or celebrity. Most people are not comfortable in weakness. This does not mean one should wander around in a dangerous part of town imagining one is invulnerable to prove a point. When emotional pain or distrust or wrath set up shop in our souls, we gradually lose the capacity to empathize and connect with others. If we hang on to an obstacle, we may very well become numb to the possibilities that surround us in any given moment - the possibility, for one, that we might discover the truth about ourselves. Are we any different from those we despise if we emmesh ourselves in what amounts to a curse against freedom? The heart can reach out to God for the help to forgive. The Church reminds us that Jesus is present to us in the Sacrament of Penance, that blessed forum in and through which God forgives the contrite penitent and frees him from the slavery of sin that blinds a man to beauty, truth and goodness. Restored to grace, and freed from the cataract of selfish, pride, arrogance and wrath, a man can behold the handiwork of God and rejoice in the wonders of creation with renewed innocence and awe.

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. - Saint Augustine

Practice generosity. But why should I? Contained in that question and response might be an attitude of suspicion acquired through hurt, hate, indifference or hopelessness. Generosity is the fruit of a grateful heart. How does one become and remain grateful when visited with disease, undeserved punishment or persecution, abuse or all of the above? One must rely on the grace of God to be able to embrace suffering without being crushed by it. Grace transforms the wound of suffering into a window through which God pours His strength and consolation, the resilience and solace that only God can give and sustain. Grace is the life of God that God shares with a heart cracked open through suffering. There is nothing more real, more pliable, more open to change - and here's a challenge to consider - more beautiful that the person who's heart is touched by God and whose life radiates freedom and joy in the midst of difficulty.

To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often. - Saint John Henry Newman