Change the rhythms

The texts today in the Roman CatholicLectionary celebrate the beginning of the annual penitential season of Lent. The power of this season comes with our openness to change the rhythms of our daily life. Friar Jude Winkler reminds us that this change involves the way we think and live and our whole attitude to life. The Prophet Joel uses strong language to exhort the people of Israel to see that they had allowed God to slip from being a part of their daily consciousness. The prophet looked at natural disasters of drought and locusts as signs that following the will of the Lord was no longer the direction of His Covenant People. Commentators are stirred by the strength of the call to action of Joel which caused radical changes in behavior. The disaster to the people of Israel was averted in their return to God. Paul declares to the Corinthians that the time is now to accept the reconciliation that Jesus is with God and turn to following His Way as the path to change. The Gospel from Matthew was written to an audience with Jewish heritage after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Friar Jude notes that the rabbis had instructed the people to approach God for reconciliation of sin through the practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These practices help to break the cycle of our daily lives which too often have little time set aside for God and others. The dilemma of modern life in serving perceived family need is identified by Diane Jorgensen of Creighton University as being really busy and needing the pause to come home and rediscover a rhythm which includes prayer, self denial and presence with others. Happy homecoming this Lent.