Time to Rearrange the Furniture

Fr. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,
Pastor

When I was a child I remember every year I would rearrange the furniture in my bedroom. I did not have much say as to how the rest of the house was arranged and decorated but I had some control over “my space.” I would put the bed to a different corner and maybe move the desk and chair so that the room had a whole new look. Of course that also meant that I needed to clean up! I would get rid of things I didn’t need any more or would never use. I’m not sure why but I do remember that I found it to be good. It certainly gave me a different perspective on my room but it also gave me a different perspective on life.

As a child I also never really liked Lent. It was always about giving something up. Lent equaled pain and suffering. No more eating in between meals, or no ice cream, or whatever the food of choice was for that year, to recognize that we are in Lent. One year I remember sneaking downstairs to eat an orange so that no one would see me. I didn’t quite make the connection of how those acts were connected to why we are asked give alms, pray more, or do penance.

Although my waistline now does not need any more potato chips, ice cream, or that late night snack, I have come to realize that Lent is not a “Catholic Diet Plan.” The older I get the more I realize how much control I do not have. I can’t stop the war in Ukraine. I can’t fix global poverty. I can’t stop cancer, dementia, or all the other ailments that we and our loved ones can get. I do, however, have some control over “my space” and I do believe that if I can change “my space” I can at least add something positive to the world. Now, I see Lent as a time to retreat where I look at my life, my relationship with God, and my relationships with others and ask how can I make them all better.

So rather than changing recipes and menus, perhaps it’s time to rearrange the furniture in our spiritual house. What can we do that will change things up a bit so we can see differently? What boxes needs to be moved, or what habits need to change, or perhaps started, so we can become more attuned to God’s presence in our life. What clutter do we have in our lives that keeps us from seeing God or that keeps God from truly touching us. Can we bring that to the curb this Lent so that we can celebrate the hope in the Resurrection in a new way this year?

I pray that we will all be “filled with the Holy Spirit” and “led by the Spirit” during our forty days of Lent so we can know what truly feeds us, satisfies us, protects us, and gives us life.

Fr. Francis J. Di Spigno, OFM

Pastor