Church of the
Annunciation

I am going to die. You are going to die. At the beginning of Lent ashes are etched on our foreheads in the form of a cross. We hear the words: “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” March 19^th is the feast of St. Joseph. Growing up we prayed to St. Joseph for a happy, good death. Discussion on death can be unsettling. People tell Jesus about the violent death of Galileans at the order of Pontius Pilot. 18 persons die in Jerusalem when a building collapses. We are all on borrowed time. Only with this honesty regarding our mortality can we appreciate the parable of Jesus. The owner of the orchard orders the barren fig tree to be cut down. The gardener asks for time to till the soil and fertilize to give the tree a last chance at being fruitful – if not it will be cut down. The parable suggests forbearance and patience on the part of the gardener but also the urgency of the task at hand. We will be judged on what we do with the time given to us. Lent is time for honesty as we discern and decide what we do with the precious gift of life. We can make a “bucket list” of important things to do: being aware of and grateful for the gift of life; acknowledge our sins and pray for forgiveness; care for our neighbor; choose not to hold on to a grudge; to live simply and to share. You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.  The only “thing” we can take with us is our trust in God. Our good deeds go before us. Lent affords us the opportunity, the grace to accept our mortality and to live a fuller life in Jesus Christ.