Change Your Heart This Lent

Since this is the Year of Consecrated Life in the Catholic Church and the season of Lent, I thought I'd share a particularly poignant story with you that carries with it a challenging but beautiful message.

It's about two Dominican sisters. One, the mother superior of the convent and the other, a younger sister who served as her assistant. They were traveling by car in the Northeast during stormy weather and knew they would never make it home before it got dark and dangerous; they were forced to find somewhere to stay the night. They stopped at the nearest Catholic parish and were referred to a convent that was just a few miles away where another group of sisters lived. The superior of that convent welcomed them with open arms, gave them comfortable rooms, and let them know that dinner would be served in an hour. It was a Friday in Lent.

When the dinner bell rang, the two Dominican sisters took their places at the table; their long black and white habits posing a stark contrast to the rest of the community who wore regular skirts and blouses. They all prayed and began polite conversation as the meal was served. The younger Dominican sister's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she saw beef stew ladled into her bowl. She looked at Mother Superior for direction and nearly fainted when she took her spoon and began eating. The younger sister whispered, "It's Friday, Mother!" Mother Superior responded, "Yes, but to decline their hospitality is a sin against charity. Eat and don't worry."

This is such a great example of the beauty of charity and how Jesus' call to love others as He has loved us is so critical to practicing our faith. There are plenty of people who would decline the meal on the basis that they would rather abide by the precepts set forth for Lenten observance and to be honest, I, myself would have struggled with what to do if I were in that situation. But Mother Superior's response is so perfect, so loving, it is the way Jesus' loves us. She was more interested in the welfare of their souls than in the letter of the law. By accepting their hospitality, it paved the way for opportunities to share God's love with them as oppossed to offending them by not partaking.

Although we must constantly be working on being better and overcoming our sinful nature, God doesn't require us to be perfect for Him to love us. He meets us right where we are and shows us the way. He didn't hang on the cross for only those really, really holy people, He willingly suffered and laid down His life for everyone, great or small, lofty or lowly, saint or dirt bag. All He wants is our souls. He thirsts for our souls. If we, as Christians, loved others the way Christ loves us, wouldn't we treat everyone the same way? Wouldn't we be more concerned for the welfare of others' souls than demonstrating to them we're better Catholics because we don't eat meat on Friday?

Am I asserting you should ignore the Lenten observance of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent? No. I am simply encouraging you to remember that treating our brothers and sisters in Christ with love—not indifference, or out of a preference for the letter of the law—is what being a holy Christian is all about.

Hearing this story made me think about so many things, but especially the way I live my Lent. In the past, I've pulled out the big guns and made huge sacrifices for all 40 days of Lent that were quite unrealistic because that's what I thought would make me holy. And as I made those sacrifices each day I got grouchy. Irritable. I treated the people around me uncharitably because of it. The ones I loved suffered for my sacrifice. I can't imagine that being pleasing to God.

Lent is about a change of heart. Turning away from sinfulness. Taking on a more loving attitude. I'm not talking fluffy, as-long-as-it-feels-good-do-it kind of attitude; I'm talking about loving the way Jesus did. Jesus spent time in prayer, preached the Gospel, served the lowest of the low, and ate and slept in between. What a great example of living life to the fullest and one we can all benefit from.

Remember, I pray for you each day and welcome any prayers back in return. If you've got something on your mind, feel free to send me an email at asklisa@catholicmatch.com or connect with me on Twitter @lisaduffy.