"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me..."
Matthew 25:35
If we thought we were getting a gentle start to Lent, today's readings shake us to our very core right off the bat...on a Monday morning! Leviticus 19 (our first reading) tells us what not to do and Jesus is telling us what exactly we must do...care for those among us who are hungry, thirsty, naked, in a strange land and imprisoned. We must help and care for them because they ARE Jesus. Phew! That is so much to take in, but there it all is...
We say we need to discern God's will, but really, God's will is clearly spelled out for us. All filtered down and laid out we are to love one another. The stranger, the poor, the outcast are all Jesus. There must be love in our actions, too, not just rote, heartless, grumpy giving because it's Lent. Our hearts must be in our actions. Our actions must be our love with hands and feet. If we love Jesus, we must serve Jesus in the poor and the marginalized, even those we'd rather avoid. OK, so now Lent feels like it's started...Love, heidi
No comments:
Post a Comment