The Church gives us a vestibule to enter into Lent every year. Most Catholic Christian Eastern Rites began yesterday on Monday, while the Roman Rite begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. Our readings are a preparatory piece for beginning the holy season of Lent. Sirach offers a reminder to follow the law of the Lord, especially the law of love, which leads to perfect charity. Our acts of charity are the sacrifice the Lord hopes our bodies will offer in perfect praise. We praise a God who is love and exudes that love to us for the gifts and talents that we are given.

Our God does not want to be bought off any more by animal sacrifice. Our God wishes for our lives to be worship, perfect praise, wholly and dedicated to God alone. Isn’t this what life is always meant to be? Isn’t this what Lent causes us to return to? It’s our core root and value to have every moment of our lives be praised.

And what do we need to offer up? Mark situates Peter at this key juncture, reminding Jesus of the sacrifices that were made to become followers. Slyly, Jesus reminds Peter that it shouldn’t be a whiny diatribe about sacrifice but a mission-filled reality that causes the core of us to serve with hearts that are pure and devoted to a life that inspires love upon love, service upon service, true worship upon true worship.

As we celebrate Mardi Gras glory today and prepare for our Roman Rite’s Lenton season, let us truly examine why our hearts serve. Are we like Peter recounting the list of things that we give up each day for the Lord? Or are we getting more like our core baptismal discipleship of unmitigated service and love? May Lent renew that perfect love within us.

Prayer:

Gracious God, you prepare our hearts and spirit for this holy time of renewal. May we enter into this holy season with an openness to your grace. Help our lives give and not count the cost, love and not expect love in return, hope, and dream for a better way that calls us to our true selves in you, through Christ our Lord.

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