Lenten Reflection Series | Saturday After Ash Wednesday

Today's reflection comes from College of the Holy Cross.

Every four years, there is one extra day, a leap year day, to keep our calendar aligned with the Earth’s movement around the sun. The additional day ensures that our days of darkness and our days of light are consistent from year to year. There is Divinity in the darkness as well as the light, and the prophet Isaiah calls us to be that Divine light in the darkness. How can I do that?

According to Isaiah, by removing the darkness of oppression, false accusation and malicious speech and replacing it with the light of bestowing bread on the hungry and satisfying the afflicted. I have an uncomfortable sense of being in darkness when I know that someone is falsely accused or maligned, or when I am confronted with oppression — homelessness, hunger, poverty, that may not affect me directly, but I know is causing the suffering of others. In the face of such overwhelming needs, it is easy to say that my little light will not make a difference in the world. But I need to remind myself that it will: acts of kindness and compassion are the Divine light shining in the darkness.

St. Ignatius of Loyola said “Love is shown more in deeds than in words.” On this leap year day, I am grateful for one more day this year to try to be a tiny little light, knowing I am part of a wider community also striving to be the Divine light in our world each day.

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Almighty ever-living God, look with compassion on our weakness and ensure us your protection by stretching forth the right hand of your majesty.