Eastern Africa Dominican Friars

Friday after Ash Wednesday 

Saint for the day: St. Claude la Colombiere (1631-1682)

Scripture readings for today's liturgy:

Isaiah 58:1-9

Psalm 51

Matthew 9:14-15

The basic problem with Lent is the fact that we do it every year and the old adage, “familiarity breeds contempt,” plays into our tendency to “do it” with a ho-hum attitude. So, how do we make this Lent of 2013 different from all other years?

A big part of our answer might be in the way we understand fasting. In my growing up years most of the concept of fasting was taken up in meticulous nit picking of how much of this or that we ate. I can remember the way my parents adjusted the fast rules on the night they went to their folk-dancing group: on that night we didn’t say “grace after meals” since they knew that there would be “snacks” later. My mother’s theory was, “we weren’t eating between meals. We just made our meal last longer until the refreshments were served later in the evening.”

All of us need to break out of that kind of thinking and today’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah gives us a clear example of what we should do. Isaiah turns the tables around almost saying, “don’t just fast from something bur, rather, fast toward something better.

Go back and re-read the Isaiah reading and see where Jesus got the idea of what a real fast should do for us: “This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: … then he lays out a whole list of things that we should fast TO rather than FROM.”

You aught to be able to see where Jesus got his story about the King who invited the elect into his Kingdom even after they asked him, “when did we see you naked, thirsty, a stranger; sick, in prison and tend to you?”

The King responds, “As much as you did it to one of these least of my people you did it for me.” (Matthew 25:34-40)

And just in case you don’t “get the point” continue reading the verses 40-46.

Perhaps, just for today, you could try to fast from always being right. Or always having the last word. Or you could fast toward being kind to that grumpy person who cuts you off in the supermarket checkout lane. I know, that here in Africa, I could gain entrance into Heaven if I just fasted from getting upset at intersection jams that tie up traffic in every direction. I think we all could put a new slant on fasting if we approached it in this way. Not fasting from so much as fasting toward a better good. Amen!

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Thursday after Ash Wednesday 

Saint for the day:Saint Valentine (died: 269)

But the Church celebrates: Sts Cyril & Methodius (d. 869; d. 884)

Scripture readings for today's liturgy:

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Psalm 1:1-4, 6

Luke 9:22-25

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord and heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.” (Deuteronmy 30:18)

The quote above, from today’s first scripture reading pulled me all the way back to the first book of the Bible, Genesis and the “wrong choice” made by our first parents, Adam and Eve.

“Choice,” the gift that comes with our free will always presents us with the “blessing and the curse!” In reflecting on today’s Gospel Scripture we need to remember that the Gospels are the living out of the teachings of Jesus that have been put together by the early Church backwards! The “post-resurrection Church” looks from the reality of the resurrection and ascension (and coming of the H.S) to the life and teachings of Jesus and then is able to say, “Oh! That’s what He meant when He said, ‘Take up your cross and follow me!”

We are that post resurrection church and we know the story and so, that OT reading can have a deeper meaning and understanding for us. IF we let the scriptures come alive for us. The problem, though, is that we’ve done this so many times that we have the tendency to take a “Ho, Hum” attitude and miss the point all together.

I don’t know why I’m all of a sudden reminded of the young couple who sheepishly tip-toed into the church as I was setting up for the Holy Thursday Liturgy and asked, “Are we too late for ashes?”

I couldn’t resist a kind of sarcastic response, “Only about six weeks …. and one day: it’s actually called Ash WEDNESDAY. Not Ash Thursday!

We’ve been marked with a cross of ashes to begin our journey of “choices” and we need to remember the three-part aspect of Lent: Prayer – Fasting – Almsgiving. God doesn’t give a hoot if we give up desserts or watching TV. Our being marked with ashes is there to remind us follow Jesus more closely in how He lived his brief public ministry. Perhaps we need to take a fresh look at our understanding of “Lent:” and ask: how/when do we pray? What do we fast from? And what does this cause us to do? Remember: Lent isn’t an invention of Weight Watchers Anonymous!

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Ash Wednesday (click on this "link" to read about today's celebration)

Scripture readings for today's liturgy:

Joel 2:12-18

Palm 51

II Corinthians 5:20-6:16-18

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

“A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (today’s Responsorial Psalm 51)

In today’s first scripture reading from the Prophet Joel we are told to “Rend your hearts, not your garments” which we understand to mean: change something on the inside of you and not just on the outside. The term, “all for show and not for go” might be another way to understand this.

I rremember back in the old days when we ate our meals in silence with one brother reading to us. It was on Ash Wednesday and one of the young brothers who had not taken any of the food that was served had made arrangements with the brother who was serving the meal to bring him a plate with a small, round loaf of French bread on it. When the superior saw what was going on he stopped the readiing; told the server to remove the bread and bring that brother some soup like the rest of us were eating. A stark reminder to all of us what this day should be all about.

In another – “Old days story” I can’t remember how many times I quit smoking on Ash Wednesday only to begin, again, on Ash Thursday! It was a hard habit to break.

Sometime later – I don’t think it had anything o do with Lent – I was talking with an older friar about my newfound faith in the just emerging Charismatic movement. I was going on and on about how my life had changed and about how I was able to see God so much more clearly. This friar, who was very crippled with arthritis, told me that he had almost given up on God because of the pain he experienced – almost all the time – and that I should hold on to my faith – now – since I might be “tried” later.

As I left him I couldn’t help but think of what I needed to do and went straight away to the Chapel. Being the dramatist, that I am, I boldly knelt down in the center of the dark sanctuary and made my prayer, “Lord, you know how many times I’ve quit smoking (usually for less than 24 hours) but I’ll try, again, with the intention of offering up any discomfort I experience for the strengtenhing of the faith of this almost despondent friar.

That’s got to be almost 40 years ago. Many years after that I had occasion to meet that friar back in Europe where he came from and told him of what I had done. With tears in his eyes he thanked me and said, “I don’t think I would have made it this far if it hadn’t been for your sacrifice and prayers.”

Unless our hearts are changed, no amount of fasting will have any effect in our lives. It’s not so much a matter of what we give up but, rather, what we are moved to do to bring healing and change in to our world. Amen!

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Tuesday in the 5^th week of the Church year. 

Today’s celebration: Shrove Tuesday

Scripture readings for today's liturgy:

Genesis 1:20-2:2-4

Psalm 8

Mark 7:1-13

In light of the unprecedented announcement yesterday of the resignation of the Pope I couldn’t help by land on the last verse of today’s Gospel: You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”

The fact that no Pope has ever resigned in more than 600 years tells us that we had gotten more caught up in keeping to a certain perceived order of things – often at the expense of the dignity of human beings. I’m sure that Pope Benedict looked back at the way his predecessor suffered towards the end of his life and just said to himself: “I’m not going to be so proud to think I’ll last forever – needing to be propped up and helped to give a Papal Blessing!”

In so many ways we, the Church, had become just like the Scribes and Pharisees – holding on to man-made-traditions, often at the expense of the dignity of the person. All of us need to learn a lesson from this event:   true, we are made in the image and likeness of God but we’re not Gods! We don’t last forever. The truly great person is the one who realizes his/her talents, abilities and gifts and also knows when to say, “It’s now time to let go and let God!”

Last summer, when my Provincial asked me to return to the Western Province I had to think twice about that request. That meant that I would be just shy of eight years working here in Africa. When folks began to get wind of my departure there were (sometimes) cries of, “Oh! What will we do after you leave? Who will do this or that?”

If I’m honest about myself I have to be able to say, “I’m not the be-all and end-all of gifts to Africa. I’m just one part of something much bigger than myself. I have to remember what my friars used to tell me, “Relax, Daniel. You’re not God and you don’t need to run everything.

As we are treated to our first scripture readings from the Book of Genesis we are told that we are made “made in the image and likeness of God.” We share something wonderful from God but we are not Gods! We are like the flowers of the field: we blossom and bloom for a time and we don’t last forever.

God Bless our Holy Father, Benedict XVI who, in humility has said, “Thank you Lord for all these blessings and my you pass them on to another worthy person to take over.” I hope that many will see his humility and be able to know when it’s time to “pass on the torch.” Amen!

PS Now, there I went gabbing on and on about the Pope and forgot to say anything about “Shrove Tuesday!” Click on the “link” above to learn some interesting facts about this “day before Ash Wednesday.”

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I’d like to hear from you to know that you’re getting these reflections. Use the link below to go to my” home page” where you’ll find more stories and pictures along with a link to e-mail me: