Sitting in Ashes?

By -

Yesterday we talked about Lent.  As promised, I'm continuing today on the message of Jonah and responding to a prophetic word.

I've looked around.  I've checked.  I'm not seeing a lot of prophets in my neighborhood giving me a message from God.  That's probably good.  

Prophets of old were not very well liked because they told people that what they were doing was wrong and that they needed to change.  Think of them more like that, than someone looking into a crystal ball to tell the future.  The future, they would say, isn't looking good for you if you don't change your ways.

I think a not-so-emphasized message from the Book of Jonah that may be helpful to us is the people's response.  As I said yesterday, the people--and even their king--responded to Jonah's word of warning, by getting into the ashes.  They were penitent.  Upon hearing the truth, and being truly sorry, they responded appropriately for their time.

Now we could dismiss this as an interesting little story (the Book of Jonah only has four chapters) and nothing more, but that wouldn't be wise.  You see, we cannot claim that we haven't heard the truth.  We cannot be apathetic, as if we, have not been warned.  We know, don't we, that through Jesus, God has revealed there can be eternal life for us in heaven if we follow what has been prophetically given to us?  

We know as well, don't we, that Hell is real, and we could end up there if we do not change our ways?

Having said all that, it doesn't mean we should be living in fear, for in fact, God is merciful, he loves us and wants us to be with him.  But if in our stubbornness we ignore the truth as it has been revealed to us for centuries, we just might be in trouble.

Have you heard the truth?  If so, how are you responding to it?  To put a finer point on it, "What are modern-day ashes that would be our response? What is appropriate in our time?

Thinking back to the ashes we just received on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, we now recognize that they are symbolic of our sorrow for our sins and our desire to be completely transformed during these days of Lent.

The people of Nineveh were saved, but it all began with their belief and their response to God's word, which Jonah proclaimed to them.

If you haven't heard the truth, please reach out and learn more about it, but remember, not just anyone can give you God's saving message.  There are many who--intentionally or not--deliver a message that is not sound, wrapped up in a shiny package.

Be sure you look for a guide who is founded in tradition, historically honest, and deeply, solidly theological.

May these 40 days of Lent be the start to a new-found faith for you, or increase the stirrings of the Holy Spirit already present within.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Memorare

By Helen Gonsalves -
Image
This popular prayer, a favorite of many Catholics, dates back to the 15th century and takes its name from the first Latin word of the prayer, "memorare," which means "remember." The Memorare is of unknown authorship, although it has been attributed to St. Augustine (354-430), St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) and, with more reason, to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153). St. Bernard's sermons on Mary were famous, and it was his Cistercian monks in the monastery of Citeaux in the 12th century who popularized the name "Our Lady" for Mary. The Memorare has also been attributed to the French cleric Claude Bernard (1588-1641), known as the "poor priest" of Paris, whose homilies contain passages that echo its words. No matter who wrote this prayer, it was Father Bernard who did much to popularize it, teaching it in hospitals and prisons, where Mary's intercession was effective in working miracles of grace. The first manuscript of the Mem
Read more

The Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

By -
Image
This is the image most often associated with the writings of the Belgian mystic Berthe Petit. She promoted devotion to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. During my preparation for the retreat I am giving at the end of the month in Pantasaph, North Wales, I began reading a book by the late John Haffert (once the lay leader of the Blue Army of Fatima). His theory in the book, which speaks of God's "last effort" to convert the world before the coming chastisement, is that we are now living in the third or fourth "day" of the Fatima week. At this time, according to Haffert, we should be promoting devotion to The Immaculate Heart of Mary. I also consulted another book by Dr. Courtnay Bartholomew (whom I have been privileged to meet) which also speaks of the importance of this devotion, linking it with the writings and visions of the mystic Berthe Petit, and the importance of the full title of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. These things will feature in
Read more

Why Modesty Is Not Subjective

By -
Image
Hi there, ya'll!  The modest fashion world is one very diverse place.  Even among Catholics, the definition of "modest apparel" can vary greatly from person to person.  Recently I joined a Facebook group that advertised itself as a haven for Catholic women of all ages to share ideas for modest style and makeup and was hoping to learn more about modesty from my fellow Catholic sisters.  After a few days of being a member, though, I sadly left the group feeling a bit discouraged.  No two members seemed to agree on ANY aspect of modesty whatsoever, and the prevailing theme of the whole group was that modesty is subjective, it means something different for each woman and each woman gets to decide what she considers is "modest".  One woman very emphatically declared that she wears bikinis every summer to the beach and doesn't feel that this violates the virtue of modesty in the least.  The same woman also announced that she was never going to caution her d
Read more