Thursday after Ash
Wednesday
(Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Luke 9:22-25)
When Mexican forces besieged the Alamo, the commander of
the fortress was William Travis. He knew
that the situation was dire. According to
a popular legend, he drew a line in the ground with his sword. He then told the Alamo’s defenders that they
had a choice. He said that they could either
leave the compound or they could cross the line he had drawn and fight the
Mexicans until death. In the readings
today both Moses and Jesus figuratively draw such a line in the sand.
In the first reading Moses gives the Israelites a clear
option. They may choose life by fulfilling
the Lord’s commandments in the land which they are about to enter. On the other hand, they may ignore the
commands, worship foreign gods, and find themselves perishing. Jesus’ option is similar. His disciples may either imitate his
self-denial in pursuit of divine love, or they may follow their own often
selfish instincts.
Each Lent we are to renew our decision to follow
Jesus. Like athletes training for the
Olympics, we follow him by disciplining our bodies. We want them to respond effortlessly to the
promptings of his Spirit. Of course, it
is hard at first. Not drinking coffee or
daily kneeling down to say the rosary seems like self-inflicted torture. But we soon realize that the sacrifices have
palpable benefits and that they do not last very long. More importantly, we come to realize that
Jesus supports us. We don’t find Lent the
drudgery that some imagine. Rather we
come to know it as the springboard of life.
