February 16, 2010
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time (Mardi Gras)
By Beth DeCristofaro
No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire….all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. (James 1:13-14, 17)
Jesus enjoined (the disciples), “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” (Mark 8:15)
Piety
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for it is from your goodness that we have this day to celebrate on the threshold of the Season of Lent. Tomorrow we will fast and abstain from meat. Today we feast. We thank you for the abundance of gifts you shower upon us. We thank you especially for one another. As we give you thanks, we are mindful of those who have so much less than we do. As we share these wonderful gifts together, we commit ourselves to greater generosity toward those who need our support.
Prepare us for tomorrow. Tasting the fullness of what we have today, let us experience some hunger tomorrow. May our fasting make us more alert and may it heighten our consciousness so that we might be ready to hear your Word and respond to your call.
As our feasting fills us with gratitude so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us
a place for deeper desires and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor. May our self-denial turn our hearts to you and give us a new freedom for generous service to others.
We ask you these graces with our hearts full of delight and stirring with readiness for the journey ahead. We ask them with confidence in the name of Jesus the Lord.
(A Mardi Gras Prayer from Creighton U, “Praying Lent”)
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/mardigras.html
Study
Jesus has been challenged again by the Pharisees and Sadducees in Mark’s Gospel for proof that what he preaches is of God. But he refuses to take their false test. In the preceding verses, Jesus sighed in deep disappointment that the “leaven”, the false lives and religiosity of the leaders is so strongly engrained within them they refuse God’s call. Jesus reminds his disciples that it by God’s graciousness that they and the thousands were fed and that it is through the gifts and presence of God that they will be fed, sustained and nourished no matter the desert in which they find themselves during their lives.
The Pharisees chose the false security of laws, traditions and proscriptions which they, themselves fashioned. Today, Mardi Gras, we have the opportunity to prepare for Lent. Looking for the distractions, temptations and false gods in our lives is one way to prepare. We can review what the leaven in our lives is: such as the false leaven of over- activity, cultural temptations, self-importance, unhealthy lifestyles or immoral choices. We can seek to renew our choice of the leaven which God gives to us.
Action
Today, on Mardi Gras we can become more aware of the feasting in our lives and bring our gratitude for God’s blessings into our prayers. At the same time we can examine our feasting which might, in fact, be detrimental to ourselves or hurtful to others or which might deprive others that which God intends for their full lives. From what do we need to fast this Lent which will increase our desire for God?
