|
Friday, March 10
Go first and be reconciled with your brother.
A few weeks back, I went out to California, and in usual fashion, I procrastinated packing until the last minute - aka 2 days before. As I scurried around my apartment looking for items that I needed and hastily threw them into my suitcase, that lingering feeling that I was forgetting something reared its face in the back of my mind. It wan't until I checked into my hotel in Anaheim that I realized that I had forgotten the one thing I really needed to bring with me. Sound familiar? Many of us have done this: we so eagerly approach a trip or vacation that we, in our feverish anticipation, forget to pack what we are going to need only to arrive at our destination and realize that we forgot our toothbrush or cell phone charger.
In the gospel reading for today, Jesus urges his disciples to clear up any wrong-doings or issues with their enemies before they approach the temple. He then goes on to say that "
if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift." As we journey closer to Easter Sunday, let us not forget to pack - or rather, to unpack the scuffles and hard feelings we have in our lives towards our enemies. Jesus reminds us to forgive our enemies and ourselves because the is what He has done for us! Let us use this 40 days to rectify some of the problems we have with the people in our lives so that at the end of Lent, we can take our "trip" into the rest of the church's year with the faith that we haven't forgotten mercy! After all, is this way Lent is all about?
Justin Richardson is the director of youth retreats and coordinator of media efforts at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette and Retreat Center. He is married to his wife Meaghan and they live in Waltham. He is an expert on all things 'technical.'
|
