Lent is simplicity

40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday in the Third Week of Lent, 04 March 2024
2 Kings 5:1-15    ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'>     Luke 4:24-30

How amazing it is,
God our loving Father,
that Lent is often portrayed
in shades of violet that signify
"modesty" and "humility" -
or, simply put,
s-i-m-p-l-i-c-i-t-y.

May we rediscover 
in this Season of Lent
the beauty and fulness 
of simplicity,
of just being by our
true self,
without the ifs
and buts,
lovingly embracing
our weaknesses
and shortcomings,
contented with our
finite humanity
you created as good.

Many times,
we are like Naaman:
despite our feelings of
inadequacy deep within
in contrast with our stature
following our many accomplishments,
we still insist on 
what is complicated,
extraordinary
and difficult
which we often take 
as more grand
and therefore,
better.

With this, he (Naaman) turned about in anger and left. But his servants came up and reasoned with him, “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

2 Kings 5:12b-14

Keep us simple,
Lord,
so we may believe more,
trust more,
dare more,
and achieve more!

The world has gone
so complicated
even with life and 
relationships we have made
into something like our  
technologies that accomplish
so much but still empty;
the world has gone
so complicated
and competitive
that unfortunately, 
we take pride in being so
even though deep
within us
we know it isn't good
at all, for you, O God,
is perfect because
you are first of all
simple.
Amen.