This Lent Let’s Expand Our Prepositions
When we think of Lent we often think of giving up something: a particular food, a bad habit, some of our hard-earned cash. But this Lent, we might want to consider expanding our prepositions. Along with giving up we might want to consider giving to, giving away, or giving back.
What might we give to this Lent? First we can give time and attention to God, that is, we can choose to devote a certain amount of time 
each day to prayer. If you’re taking the time to read this blog, I suspect prayer is already a priority for you. And that’s great. Most parishes offer a parish mission during Lent, a few evenings of talks by an outside speaker. We might want to give some of our time to that experience. This Lent we can also make a conscious effort to give our time and attention to others: an elderly relative, a lonely neighbor, a challenging co-worker. We might also focus on others closer to home: the spouse we sometimes take for granted, the child we might be struggling with, a particular Sister we live with but barely know, or the good friend we haven’t talked to in ages.
We might also choose to give away this Lent. It’s simple. We can stand before our open closet and see what items are in there that we can give away to our local thrift store or homeless shelter. We can check out our drawers, cupboards, and basement shelves for things others could be using. De-cluttering can be a fine Lenten practice. We might also choose to give away some of our time for a cause we really believe in—by reading up on the issue, for example, or by contacting our representative in congress. Or we can give away some time for volunteering at our church, our child’s or grandchild’s school, a women’s shelter, or even the local animal rescue shelter. They are always in need of volunteers to walk dogs or play with cats.
We can also give back during this time of Lent. As the old proverb says, “We stand on the shoulders of giants”, those people who have gone before us and whose contributions make our lives not only pleasant but also possible. What can we give back that will help insure
a good future for our children, grandchildren, and generations beyond? Recycling is one way we can give back. Sorting out the plastic, cans, glass, and papers is a small thing, but it can have a big impact on our environment. Eating more healthily (less sugar, salt, and red meat, for example) can contribute to our overall health and well-being while sharing the earth’s resources more equitably.
When I think of these three prepositions, giving to, giving away, and giving back, I can’t help but think of Jesus. Jesus gave time to God by sometimes sneaking off by himself to a lonely place, a mountain, or a garden to pray. Jesus also gave his time and attention to others—from his friends and disciples to total strangers. He noticed people whom others ignored or shunned—like the widow slipping her coins into the temple treasury or Zacchaeus sitting up in that tree. Jesus also gave away. He had no home, no place even to lay his head. When he was dying on the cross, his sole possession, his seamless garment, was “raffled off” to one of the soldiers. And Jesus gave back. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he handed back his entire being to Abba his father, saying, “Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will” (Mk. 14:36). On the cross he repeated this complete self-donation with the words, “Father I place my life in your hands” (Jn. 19:30: from The Message, Eugene Peterson translation). Jesus gave until there was nothing more to give.
In all of this talk about giving, we must remember the why and how of our giving. We don’t give for giving’s sake. Our Lenten practices are not some kind of athletic endeavor that says, “See how good and strong I am!” No, we give because God gives to us first. So grateful are we to God for our many blessings that our gratitude breaks out into giving! That’s why we give. And we give with love and joy. That’s how we give. Anything less is not worthy to be a Lenten practice. My prayer for all of us is a simple one: May God bless our Lent, our six week journey of giving up, giving to, giving away, and giving back! Amen.
Amazing "Amazing Grace"
“Amazing Grace” is one of the most recognizable Christian hymns in the English-speaking world. You probably know the first verse by heart: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” The story behind the song is amazing too. (more…)
Amazing “Amazing Grace”
“Amazing Grace” is one of the most recognizable Christian hymns in the English-speaking world. You probably know the first verse by heart: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” The story behind the song is amazing too. (more…)
The Miracle of the Ordinary
In the liturgical year, we are now in “ordinary time.” This period of the church year will last until Ash Wednesday (March 5th this year) when the season of Lent begins. The fact that we are in ordinary time got me to thinking about the role of the ordinary in my life. (more…)
"Because I Said I Would"
Alex Sheen, of Lakewood, Ohio is the 28-year-old founder of Because I Said I Would, a nonprofit organization dedicated “to bettering humanity through the power of a promise.” When his father, 55, died from lung cancer 2 years ago, Sheen reflected on the quality he admired most in his Dad: His father was a man of his word. He kept his promises. That night Sheen launched his organization on line. He challenged people to make a promise and keep it.
Sheen came up with the idea of distributing cards to his “customers.” The cards are the size of a regular business card—large enough to write on but small enough to carry around. The white cards are blank except for the black words at the bottom which read, “Because I said I would.” Sheen gives 10 free cards to anyone who requests them. The requests became so many, he soon needed several volunteers just to mail out the cards. Now, at his website, he offers the option of printing your own cards.
What do you do with the cards? It’s easy. You write a promise on the card. It can be anything. Something big or something small. It can be a promise you want to make to yourself or to someone else. It can be things like these: “I will clean the garage…I will donate blood…I will eat more healthily…I will volunteer with the homeless…I will take a watercolor course…I will pray every morning…I will read ____ (insert book title).” Then you give the card to someone else. When you have fulfilled your promise, you ask for the card back. “It’s a reward for keeping your promise,” Sheen says. And he adds, “Why shouldn’t we reward ourselves for being true to our word?”
The idea of being true to your word crosses cultural lines. Because I Said I Would has sent cards to people in more than 48 countries. In addition to distributing cards, Sheen’s organization also takes on other philanthropic projects. His company, for example, recently raised money to send 100 children to Disneyland.
Sheen’s company got global attention last fall. You may recall the incident. A young man named Matthew Cordle, 22, confessed on YouTube to causing a drunk-driving fatality in June. On the video he made, Cordle held up one of Sheen’s cards on which he had written: “I will take full responsibility for what I’ve done.” In less than 10 days, the video racked up more than 2 million views. Cordle eventually turned himself in to authorities and is currently awaiting trial. He kept his promise.
Alex Sheen’s story impresses me. (I want to thank my friend Sister Dion Horrigan for telling me about Sheen.) His story demonstrates (once again!) the power of one individual to make the world a better place. He has focused on a single attribute—keeping promises—which translates into qualities such as self-discipline, honesty, courage, patience, personal integrity, and love.
Scripture describes God as a Keeper of Promises. After the Great Flood, God makes a promise to Noah never again to destroy the world by a flood. God then puts a rainbow in the sky and says, “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you 
and every living creature with you” (Gen. 9:12). Later on in salvation history, God promises Moses and the Chosen People to deliver them from slavery in Egypt—a promise God keeps. Jesus too makes promises—about God’s unfailing mercy, about rising from the dead, about being with us always.
We too need to make good promises in our life, the kind that nurture what is best in us, keep us on the path of righteousness, and help us to grow into women and men of freedom and love. Today we might ask ourselves: What promises have I made that have been life giving for me? What promises have other individuals made that nourished me? What helps me to keep my promises?
Let us pray:
Loving God, our Great Promise Keeper, help me to be a person of my word. Help me to make promises that are good and then give me the strength to keep them. When I am tempted to stray from the path of righteousness or to choose those things that lead only to servitude, help me to remember the promises I’ve made to you, to others, and to myself. I ask for this grace through Jesus and the power of his Amazing Spirit. Amen.
NOTE: I have written the Catholic Update for Lent this year published by Franciscan Media. The 8 1/2″ x 11″ 4-page booklet has a brief reflection for every day in Lent based on the Mass readings. It sells for 75 cents each, but discounts are given with bulk orders. For example, 10-99 copies are 49 cents each; 100-199 copies are 39 cents each, etc. You can order by calling 800-488-0488 or by visiting FranciscanMedia.org.
