Good Sense doesn’t Come Easy

I can always tell when it is Great Lent. It seems like a daily experience when I am faced with evaluating what I hear in society with what I hear in the Church. This is especially true during Great Lent, when because we are engaged in a spiritual war, we are what appears to be under a greater attack by the devil and his minions. It is this truly a greater attack, or are we somehow more sensitive to the war?

I’ll give you an example. The Church teaches that during Great Lent, we should spend extra time attending Church services, while the society continues to offer a plethora of spring activities to distract us. We are tempted, especially when raising children, to rationalize skipping these extra Church services to attend spring football games, baseball spring training, and other culturally American favorite spring time activities. I say rationalize, because we choose the activities over Church to, “keep our children well-rounded members of society.” We fear that if we bring our children to Church every day during Great Lent, or even once a week more than at other times during the year, they will somehow be unprepared to become productive members of society.

Take a moment and read today’s reading from Proverbs, and you will understand there is a difference between what the Church teaches is important, and what the world emphasizes.

A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of perverse mind is despised. Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread. A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense. The strong tower of the wicked comes to ruin, but the root of the righteous stands firm. An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. From the fruit of his words a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent man ignores an insult. He who speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan good have joy. No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. – Proverbs 12.8-22

Life isn’t about building the perfect resume for college entrance committees. Life isn’t about being “one who plays the great man but lacks bread.” It has become too common, especially in raising our youth, that we place being designated “great” by society, when we find ourselves despised by God because we have a perverse mind. It has become popular to “speak our mind” and forget that “An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips.”

This week as you embrace the truth of the Cross in your life, I pray you will embrace the Church’s expectation for life, rather than the secular society. It isn’t that the Church desires you to be hungry and a failure. It is the desire of the Church that you are prepared for heaven, and sometimes that preparation comes in conflict with earthly preparation. “A man is commended according to his good sense,” and it makes good sense to prepare for heaven.

We are on the back half of Great Lent. Keep up the faith. Keep up the work. Everything good is worth the effort. “A wise man listens to advice.”