LETTING GO AND LETTING GOD

Consider this. You're taking a long, hot shower. You finish and step out and decide you should do your hair immediately. So you look in the mirror. No way. The steam deprives you from seeing the image of your gorgeous face. What to do? You just won't get the hair done till the mirror clears.

This example illustrates a Lenten reality. God created humans to be God's image and likeness. The human community was meant to mirror God. But, at the dawn of history, earthlings choose their own pathway. They lost friendship with God. They became disoriented. While they remained in God's image, they lost the luster and loveliness of God's likeness. Instead of being able to step out of the shower and being able to do one's hair immediately, humans now found themselves facing a steamed mirror. They could not mirror God's likeness until the relationship between God and humankind would be repaired, redeemed, and restored. When the Word became flesh, he pioneered a new pathway enabling us to be icons of God. The passion, death and resurrection of Jesus became balm for wounded humanity.

During Lent God takes the initiative. God calls catechumens to walk in faith toward the great vigil of Easter and waiting water bath. In addition, God calls us to renew our baptismal commitment because Christians can take friendship with God for granted. The luster of Christian loveliness and human dignity gets tarnished and stained.

During Lent God constantly acts when Christians assemble to do public, liturgical prayer, doing all in remembrance of Jesus. God acts to remove the steam from the mirror so that Christians can see one another as image and likeness of God. God acts in the assembly in a dual process. First, God empties us of the toxins of sin and weakness. Then God strengthens and fills us with the Spirit.

God acts in the assembly. The ritual prayer called scrutiny follows two steps. The community called church asks God to remove all that is weak, defective, and wounded. Then we ask God to give all that is strong, whole, and healed. Lent is time to purify. Where there is dross, God wipes clean. Where there is rust, God shines to new luster. Where there is darkness, God illumines. Where there is disorientation, God enlightens. The community called church passes over from wintry coldness, darkness, and death and sojourns towards spring-like warmth, light, and life.

The public prayer called scrutiny is a ritual action in response to readings that demonstrate the pattern we ritually act out. The Samaritan woman goes thirsty to the well, is engaged by Jesus, and is gifted with the thirst quenching waters of eternal life. The man blind from birth is engaged by Jesus and is gifted with the physical and spiritual sight. The dear friend Lazarus is engaged by Jesus and is gifted with life.

What does our assembly discover when we are engaged by the presence of the risen Christ, the One who once chose to bow his head and hand over his spirit? If we let go and let God, then God can heal, illumine, purify, and reshape us. When forty days are over, our assembly will have good reason to rejoice for fifty days.