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 A Thought on Sunday
From the desk of Fr. Ignatius, c.p.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Work for Lent
The blame game is the only game in town! Blame the bankers, blame the lawyers, blame the government, blame the church, blame the mother, the father, the husband, the wife - blame the children! Blame the Pope! Blame God! And it’s a great game because it’s out there away from me and many will agree with me. The husband shouts at the wife, she smacks the child, the child kicks the dog and what can the unfortunate dog do?
I’s also the oldest game in town. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent and who can the serpent blame? When everyone’s a victim, who’s to blame? We must have someone to blame!
I remember a lady of 72 (when I thought 72 was very old!) telling me she had just buried her mother. And I wondered had I heard it right, “Your mother?” And she said, “Oh yes, my mother, she was 95” and I, knowing it was a huge loss and separation to lose a parent at any age, said, “Oh, I’m sorry, that was must have been tough for you.” And she said, “Oh no, it was great!”
She then began to relate in great detail how dreadful the mother was all the years, how she could never please her, she never looked right, spoke right, dressed right, she never did anything right according to mother! She married as soon as she could to get away from her and that didn’t work out either,- and mother said, “No wonder!”
Now of course, there’s so much that is so wrong in life, every institution and every family and every person is flawed, limited, imperfect but some time before we’re 72 (or even after!) we need to stop blaming a little old lady of 95 for all our ills! We need to take our life in our own hands, change what can be changed, accept what cannot be changed and pray for the wisdom to know the difference!
It is work for Lent. Jesus was tempted in every way that we are - and that means every way. But he faces the lonely deserted places in his own heart and life (today’s gospel). He confronts the human need and compulsion to be right and to blame others, the compulsion to be a great success and the compulsion to be powerful and in control.
These were the demons Jesus wrestled with in the desert and these same demons are alive and well in each of us and in our own little kingdoms. And nothing about ourselves can be dealt with unless it is first named and shamed, faced and accepted.
Plenty of work for the seven weeks of Lent!
Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no-one to blame! (Erica Jong)
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