Are we allowing Lent to teach us, again, that the constant calling of the Gospel is mercy, compassion, sympathy, and acceptance? Are we aware that all of the disciplines of this holy season are aimed at leading us to virtuous and noble ways – so that we might lead exemplary lives?
Called to show mercy and compassion, how are we doing when it comes to sharing God’s forgiveness? Do we remember that we have no right to judge others? How hard is it to remember that we are walking this journey together, side by side? We often commit the very faults we condemn, we are often partial and prejudiced in our judgment, and we do not know the circumstances of anyone else’s life.
Food for thought: Alexander the Great once found his philosopher friend Diogenes standing in a field, looking intently at a large pile of bones. Asked what he was doing, the old man turned to Alexander and replied, “I am searching for the bones of your father Philip, but I cannot distinguish them from the bones of the slaves.” All of us stand equal before God, both in life and in death. From the (supposed) greatest to the least, from the (supposed) most beautiful to the most ordinary – all of us are counted among the children of God, without distinction. Let us praise the Lord for that!
