To the Band of Brothers: Ash Wednesday
(This column was originally emailed to students, faculty, staff, and current parents as part of the ongoing series, To the Band of Brothers. Click here to read past columns.)
And so, it begins. Today is Ash Wednesday and with it, we kick off forty days of Lent. At Mass today we will receive ashes on our foreheads that remind us of our human frailty and the one truth no single human person can ever avoid, that one day we will cease to exist. This is true about all created things… we die. But, the greatest truth of all is that Christians understand and believe more than anything else that death does not have the final word. Jesus has the final word and that word is resurrection. That word is eternal life.
And so, it begins. Today is Ash Wednesday and with it, we kick off forty days of Lent. At Mass today we will receive ashes on our foreheads that remind us of our human frailty and the one truth no single human person can ever avoid, that one day we will cease to exist. This is true about all created things… we die. But, the greatest truth of all is that Christians understand and believe more than anything else that death does not have the final word. Jesus has the final word and that word is resurrection. That word is eternal life.
I know what you are thinking because I confess to thinking about it on occasion. Even though we are fully aware Lent is a time of extraordinary spiritual opportunities, the idea of giving something up, not eating meat on Fridays, and me, in particular, having to wear purple (I don’t look good in purple), causes us to give a sigh similar to the one we give on Monday mornings when we start a diet or on Sunday nights when we think of Monday mornings.
We don’t like to sacrifice. Who does? It goes against our normal human inclinations. We would rather have it all. As the old English proverb says, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Well, why not? Is it not possible to defy sound logic and wisdom? The answer, alas, is no. One thing is to have your cake and keep it, the other is to eat it and, thus, not have it.
For as much as I hate to say it, sacrifice is good. If you don’t believe me, ask any Belen athlete who disciplines his body and formats his schedule in order to be at the top of his game. He knows there are certain foods he cannot eat, so he doesn’t eat them for love of the sport. He knows he has to wake up earlier than most, surrender his weekends and holidays, and risk injury, all for love of the sport. It’s not simply talent, but sacrifice that is the key to success.
Depriving ourselves of certain things on occasion, even those things that are good, is a healthy practice in discipline. It helps build character and strengthen the will. It allows us to answer the question, “Who’s in charge here?” Are sweets, or soda, or meat, or video games in charge? Or, am I in charge? Is my ability to say “no” to things strong within me or am I governed by an insatiable desire to eat or drink or play these inanimate, secondary things?
I’ve often heard it said that for Lent you don’t necessarily have to give anything up, but instead you should do something. I disagree. Absolutely give something up. As a matter of fact, don’t give up something you shouldn’t be eating or drinking or playing. Give up something that, for all intents and purposes, is okay and you enjoy. Let it hurt, let it sting a little, let it remind you every time you long for it that you are in charge and you are offering it up for a greater, more loving good. Test yourself and show God how disciplined you can be. Prove to yourself who’s in charge.
I assure you, the exercise for forty days as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the greatest event in human history, is well worth it. Like a runner who prepares for the great race, the swimmer for the great meet, or the golfer for the great tournament, we Christians prepare for the great celebration of Easter. Here’s to a great Lent.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.