Deacon Tom Writes,
“Tough Nuts To Crack”
The
image was striking: a woman with the sign of the cross in ashes on her forehead
tightly hugging a child (daughter?) both sobbing bitterly. Their photo captured
by the reporter at the scene of the Ash Wednesday shooting at a Southern Florida
High School where 17 people died tragically and many others wounded, and
reasonable people left asking, “How much more of this can we take?”
Immediately
the debate began over gun control, over mental illness, over the violence in
this country, and so on. All are appropriate and, if past experience holds
true, nothing will come of it. What is missing from the conversation is the mention
of the word “sin.” We are missing a critical element contributing to this tragedy
if we are not able to see “sin,” that is evil at work in our world as a source
of the problem. Unfortunately, the word “sin” doesn’t enter the conversation.
How then can we have “contrition” if we aren’t able to recognize the “sin?” How
then can we ever have a solution to the many similar problems that plague us if
we can’t acknowledge their source?
The word “Contrition” comes from the Latin word contritio,
a breaking of something hardened.
Contrition is the action we take to break away from our patterns of behavior
that cause us pain, our self-inflected wounds if you will. In spiritual
language we call this behavior, “sin,” and
the desire to break our attraction to what harms, no longer to be “crushed by guilt.” is called, “contrition.”
To experience such a horrific act on Ash Wednesday encourages
us to look at the sin in our lives and our need for contrition, “for what we have done and for what we have
failed to do” as our Catholic faith reminds us of our active and passive
participation with sin.
It is interesting that the word “contritio” connotes
a breaking something hardened. Scriptures warns us about “hardness of heart” in Psalm 95... If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened as were
the hearts of the people of Israel as they crossed the desert to the Promised
Land. Scripture reveals that nothing good results from a spiritual hardness of
heart. There is much evidence to suggest that many of us suffer from some form
of hardness of heart today. Take our attitudes, for instance. There are many
who have become hardened to one degree or another by life’s experiences A
homeless person will approach us on the street and ask for some change and we
refuse them. We justify our actions in many different ways…They need to get a
job…. They will only buy booze… and on and on.
Our attitudes are fixed on every topic from A – Z,
from abortion to xenophobia and we are not about to change our positions, only
hunker down on them.
That is exactly what the Season of Lent is all about.
It’s time to make some changes in our attitudes and, as Philippians 2:5 says, “Have among yourselves the same attitude that
is also yours in Christ Jesus.” And our attitudes can only change when we
take steps to change the focus of our life from ourselves to Christ as the
epicenter.
I don’t think many of us enter Lent looking to do a
complete makeover of our lives. Most of us know that even small changes in our
behavior are very difficult to make. Just try to stop smoking or go on a low
cholesterol diet! We find out then how making small changes really impacts many
other facets of our lives
Maybe that’s why we approach Lent so cautiously. We
are afraid to go messing around with some of those attitudes that need to be adjusted
Let’s face it; it is easier to give up a meal here and there than to try
reaching out to a co-worker who is always making our lives miserable. It is much
easier to say a Rosary than to say, “I forgive you” to someone who has hurt us
in the past. It is much easier to do nothing because the problems we face are
too big than to look at our own complicity with sin with a contrite heart and
make the changes we need to make.
During this Lenten season, let’s ask God for His grace
that calls us to a spirit of “Contrition”
so He may help us in our efforts to breakdown any and all of those
attitudes that keep us separated from His love, mercy, and compassion.
Enjoy the day and remember to say “I Love You” to
the special people in your life.
Deacon Tom
Image Credit: doodlescribble/1306@deviant.com
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