A reflection on the daily readings, for Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.
+ Are your bags packed? Are you ready for the journey?
How about one last big and delicious meal?
Heck, why not throw a party?
Hence, the celebration of Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday!
But what is this journey all about?
This journey, Lent, is about a spiritual 40-days’-walk into a spiritual renewal, awareness, and intentionality.
And, of course, it all ends with the great feasts surrounding the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord.
What is needed for the journey? What would help us along the way?
Sirach tells us in the first two chapters of the book and in a special 22-line poem that corresponds to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet (scripture writers liked the challenge of sharing God’s word in highly stylized poetic structures and the like) that we need to know fear of the Lord — better known as awe of the Lord, for he is great.
It is mentioned 12 times — reminding us of the 12 tribes of Israel and later the 12 apostles — and also mentioning wisdom seven times
And we know how important that number seven is — it’s just perfect and complete.
Trusting wholly in God and walking with the Lord at all times is the perfect way of entering the Lenten journey.
+ But wait! Jesus is walking with his 12, sharing most intimately the journey that he was going to have to take — the journey of the cross.
And as he opens his heart and speaks of what was coming, he hears some nonsense going on among some of the 12, and he asks them: “What were you arguing about on the way?”
He may very well have heard what they were saying, but in typical fashion he pulled it out of them.
Egos on fire! They were arguing about “who was the greatest” among them.
And Jesus, without missing a beat, sat them down and taught them.
He led them to a new place and into a new world, an inner world of the spirit.
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
The Lord, who so often spoke in intuitive words and ideas, was leading his disciples to a new place where they would be able and prepared to experience the cross and go through unspeakable pain, sorrow, and confusion only to finally one day understand the importance and wealth of spirit that would come from that cross.
We are all invited into that journey again — yes, another Lent!
And, no doubt — year after year, trial after trial, sorrow after sorrow, challenge after challenge — the journey just gets better and deeper, and it ironically and wonderfully produces more love.
+ Sirach asks us: “Has anyone hoped in the Lord and been disappointed?”
+ I think not!
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
