Saint Frances Cabrini Parish

Father Kleppner - February 25, 2007

Lenten Meditation
First Sunday of Lent
When God Enters Our Picture
“Please, Come to Order!”

A miscellaneous cluster of people comes together and a buzz of conversation is heard. Some of those attending are well acquainted; others are there for the first time. When a leader says, “The meeting will, please, come to order”, they become a unified group, ready to do business. A common interest and a common purpose unite them, but it takes directing if they are going to achieve something.
We prize human freedom. Life is enriched both by differing ideas that people have and by their varied styles of speaking and working. It takes organization, though, to give life unity and make it productive. The same God, who brought order out of chaos in creation, can bring order into our society and into our private lives. Being free, we can accept God’s ordering or not, but life is much better, when lived according to God’s plan.
The season of Lent helps us with this. While it focuses on the days that lead up to Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, these are seen in the context of his whole life and ministry. Some people considered Jesus a dangerous radical, because he was not meticulous about every detail of the ancient laws. For example, he healed a man on the Sabbath Day, when work was forbidden. Jesus saw an ordering that focused more on people than on tradition. In doing so, he showed what God s really like. God’s ways were his ways and they can become our ways as well.
Perhaps, it would be helpful during this season to review God’s ordering, almost as we would look through a photo album. In a variety of actions, God seeks to bring wholeness to our lives, both as individuals and as a society.

Heroes of God
The next time you feel like God couldn’t possibly use you, just remember. . . Noah was a drunk. Abraham was too old. Isaac was a daydreamer. Jacob was a liar. Leah was ugly. Joseph was abused. Moses had a stuttering problem. Gideon was afraid. Samson had long hair and was a womanizer. Rahab was a prostitute. Jeremiah was too young. David had an affair and was a womanizer. Elijah was suicidal. Jonah ran from God. Naomi was a widow. Job went bankrupt. Peter denied Christ. The disciples fell asleep while praying. Martha worried about everything. The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once. Zaccheus was too short. Paul was too religious. Timothy had an ulcer and was too young. AND… Lazarus was dead!!!!!!!
God can use you to your full potential. Remember you aren’t the message, just the messenger!

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