Lenten Reflection
Patrick Coleman
President/CEO at GiveCentral | Transforming Non-Profit Fundraising | Strategic Operations Leader | Speaker
I am re-sharing below a beautiful Lenten Reflection written for Catholic Extension by Jack Shea. I was especially touched by a few of the questions he asks us to consider: For example, “What do we need to do to be true to who we are?” And on the personal level, "Who do we need to say 'thank you' to? Who do we need to say 'I love you' to?"
Be True to Who We Are
A Reflection for Ash Wednesday by Jack Shea for Catholic Extension
Years ago, I visited my parents in Florida on Ash Wednesday. We went to Church to receive ashes. Afterward, my mother, unable to resist being close to a shopping mall, insisted we stop.
Inside, we passed a gaggle of teenagers. They watched us go by. “Hey,” shouted one, “the Catholics are giving out ashes. Let’s go.” Our foreheads had unsuspectedly become an ecumenical and inter-faith invitation.
Receiving ashes is a Catholic tradition that begins the Lenten season. But it has a universal appeal, tapping into something right beneath the surface of every human life.
“Remember, Human Being, you are dust and unto dust you shall return.”
Ashes invite us to take stock of our lives in the light of the fact we are mortal. Although we may not want to look at the terrifying certainty of our own death, we do often need to check in with ourselves, to make sure we are on the right path. We can fall into ways of thinking and acting that we are not quite satisfied with. No one is exempt from drift. “A little scrutiny,” the saying goes, ‘is good for the soul.”
In popular culture, this type of reflection coincides with “bucket lists.” “What are the things we want to do before we die?” But in spiritual traditions, the question is deeper. “What do we need to do to be true to who we are?”
On the personal level, this question may bring us into gratitude and love. Who do we need to say “thank you” to? Who do we need to say “I love you” to?
On the social level, we may find ourselves asking, “What struggles should we be concerned with and active about?” “What commitments do we need to re-connect with?”
Catholic Extension: Lenten Reflection Series
John “Jack” Shea. Shea is a theological consultant to dioceses, parishes, and faith-based organizations like Catholic Extension. Catholic Extension joins the poor and marginalized to create communities of Christian faith who are signs and instruments of the unity between God and people.