II Kings 5: The leper Naaman visits the prophet Elisha in Samaria, but is discouraged when the prophet asks him simply to bathe in the Jordan river seven times. Naaman’s servants ask him, "If the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it?” and urge him to do the simple, ordinary thing that the prophet asked. Ours is a faith of ordinary things. We’re not asked to make a pilgrimage to the far side of the earth, or to make sacrifices of bulls and sheep, or proclaim lengthy prayers. We’re not asked to do extraordinary things. The discipline of Lent calls us back to a simple faith, asking us to see God’s purpose and goodness in the ordinary and uncomplicated things. The discipline of Lent invites us to unclutter our lives and souls for 40 days, seeing the extraordinary goodness of God in the most ordinary things (and people) of life. If God had asked us to do something extraordinary we would do it; why not give in and do the ordinary things in a most extraordinary way.

3/12/2012

Msgr. William J. King