Trading Places

Ash Wednesday Lent 2009

Joel 2:12-18 / Psalm 51:3-4,5-6ab,12-13, 14, 17 / 2Corinthians 5:20–6:2 / Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Trading Places

Have you ever wanted to trade places with someone? What was it about that other person that made you want to be in their shoes? Did he have the money, the car, the house, the job, the marriage or family you wanted? Had she earned the esteem and respect of others you desired? Did he have the intelligence or opportunity you longed for? Did she have the talent or health you felt you lacked? Perhaps that person’s life was less complicated than your own, while you felt overwhelmed by everything going on in yours. Surely envy is a bad thing, but the desire to trade places with someone else, the desire for something new, something more, something different can help us steer our way through Lent. 

As a season of repentance, Lent aims at change — even changing places. The reading from 2 Corinthians says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” At times it may feel like the goal of Lent is receiving a seal of approval for fasting on the right days, making enough sacrifices, or doing something extra. But the true goal of Lent is to become more like Christ who became like us in all things but sin.

With a false sense of humility we might ask, “Who am I to presume I could be like Christ?” But our becoming like him is the very reason he became like us and shared in our suffering. So ask yourself instead: In what ways do I most need and most desire to become like Christ? If the list is long, you may want to narrow it down to just a couple and make those things the focus of your Lenten penance.

Having narrowed down your list to these few, ask yourself, “What can I do each day or each week to allow Christ to change me in this area?” Don’t look for the most difficult thing. Keeping it simple may help sustain the practice throughout the season.

This Lent let Christ live in you!

·        Describe your relationship with God as it is now. Describe your relationship with God as you would like it to be. Does your description match the relationship Jesus had with his Father?

·        What attribute of Christ do you most want to imitate in your life? Ask Christ to help you grow in this quality.