Thursday, February 19, 2015

Ash Wednesday - The Good of the Whole


By: Sr. Marie Flowers, SCN



I can’t seem to shake the tragedy of the Charlie Hebdo killings in France.  The actions leading up to and following the massacre have me questioning my values, our values and wondering how it all got so ugly.  I’m sensing a societal push toward the individual – (what I want, need, think or have to say) as more important than the good of the whole.  The message seems to be that individualism supersedes respect, tolerance and ultimately undermines the human dignity of all. 


As I reflect on God’s invitation for these 40 days of Lent, I keep coming back to the idea of looking out for the good of the whole – not just my needs, the needs of my local community and my family, but the needs of the whole church, the whole world the whole earth. Our world is crying out from every continent for peace and reconciliation, for compassion and justice, for Hope. 


Sunday’s readings were filled with wisdom for building up and protecting the whole.  “If you bear the sore of leprosy, shout unclean, unclean so as not to infect the whole of the community”  “Do everything for the glory of God…avoid giving offense whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God”
 
My prayer this Lent is for a deeper awareness of The Good of the Whole and how God’s love desires to permeate every part of the whole.






Image result for picture of earth



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