It's time for a fresh, new taste

	Bishop Robert J. Banks

"Lent is the time to take time..." That is the first line from a poem I just read. (Yes, I can read poems too, just like Bishop Morneau. I just can't memorize them like he does, and I don't read as many poems.)

The poem goes on to describe some of the ways to take time in Lent. It ends with this line: "Lent is a time to allow a fresh new taste of God."

I would second the poet's advice that Lent is a time to take time. That probably is the best Lenten resolution a person could make. Then the person just has to figure out a way to take time for Lent.

The suggestion that the Diocese is giving our parishioners this year is to use the "Little Black Book" with its six-minute daily meditations. That ensures you will take time each day of Lent and also get "a fresh new taste of God."

Lent
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If you are a regular reader of The Compass, then you are already taking time, at least each week, to "get a fresh taste of God." That is probably the main advantage of a subscription to The Compass. There is always bound to be something in the columns or the news items to give you that "fresh taste."

A friend of mine has a very easy way to make Lent a time when you think more of God. She simply places a crucifix near the dining room table during Lent. Its presence is a reminder of what Lent is all about. Since the dining room table has become less central in many busy homes, maybe something on top of the television set, like a crucifix or open Bible or other religious image, might be a helpful reminder of Lent.

In my opinion, the best way to take time during Lent is to be a regular at daily Mass. That is not as easy now, since there are fewer daily Masses being offered because of the shortage of priests. A Communion service is not the same as Mass, but it too is a way to take time to be reminded of God and God's goodness.

Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has his own suggestion for a way to take time for God in this season of Lent. In his Lenten Message for 2003, he offers as a guide for our Lenten meditation a phrase taken from the Acts of the Apostles: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

It seems to me that his main concern, expressed in this message and in so many of his talks and letters, is the terrible disparity between the wealth in the developed nations and the desperate poverty of the people in the so-called "developing" nations. So Lent would mean we individually decide to be in favor of those economic and legislative initiatives that would improve living conditions in the poorer countries of the world.

The Pope moves closer to home in his message when he connects our personal fasting with almsgiving during the season of Lent. He reminds us that Jesus "loved us first, while we were yet sinners, with an unconditional love which asks nothing in return." Lent, therefore, should be a time for personal sacrifice, both through fasting and by our giving to charity even more than we are comfortable in giving.

In the last section of his message, the Pope raises the issue of vocations. He points out how Jesus offers the example of his own life and calls others to give their lives in service. The Pope reminds us that this kind of sacrifice is a source of self-fulfillment and joy. That is evident in the lives of missionaries who give up all sense of security and risk their lives in different parts of the world. The same joy is experienced by "those young people who, prompted by faith, have embraced a vocation to the priesthood or the religious life." And the same is true, the Pope says, of the many volunteers who devote themselves to helping the poor, the sick and all those in need.

It is interesting that the Pope stresses, throughout his Lenten message, that helping others, even at a cost to ourselves, is not just something we are commanded to do as Christians. "The inclination to give is rooted in the depths of the human heart: every person is conscious of a desire to interact with others and everyone finds fulfillment in a free gift of self to others." I would say the proof of that can be heard in just about any love song, modern or old.

The Pope's emphasis on giving and the poet's emphasis on taking time to think of God take care of two of the traditional ways of keeping Lent: almsgiving and prayer. What about the third way: fasting?

Fasting has been out of fashion for some time now, and the Church has cut the number of fast days to only two: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstinence from meat is required on Fridays, but only during Lent. Some Catholic writers are known to make fun of practices like cutting out candy or smoking or alcohol. But I think I have heard that fasting is coming back into practice among some of our young people, and not just to keep thin.

It is inevitable that Christians will eventually recognize, once again, the value of the self-control and sacrifice that is involved in fasting, abstinence and the giving up of favorite foods or activities. This kind of behavior is encouraged by the Bible and practiced by almost every religious group.

While we wait for that new insight to happen, some of us can still use "giving up" as a way to take time to get a fresh taste of God.