Ash Wednesday

For the people of Mayange, the desert imagery of Lent is not difficult to grasp.  Part of the reason the MVP chose to conduct programs in the area is a lack of adequate rainfall and challenging conditions for agriculture.

This past year was especially difficult due to a long-lasting drought that destroyed many crops and left many people in desperate circumstances.

As I enter this Lenten season and read the Gospel lesson for Ash Wednesday in which Jesus instructs us not to disfigure our faces when fasting, I think of the countless people I pass every day who may not have eaten a full meal in weeks, yet whose faces reveal only hope and joy.  As I pursue my Lenten resolution to pray with the rising and setting of the sun every day, I will remember those in this world whose journey in life is a daily struggle, but who approach each day with unfailing optimism and gratitude for the little they do have.  I hope you will, too.