Burning and Sifting

Dear Friends,

Someone in the church where
we celebrated Ash Wednesday
performed several indispensable steps to prepare for the ritual celebration of that day.

Someone burned piles of palm (saved from last year’s Palm Sunday service)
and sifted the residue.
Burn and sift.

Sometimes we find our hearts burning within us.
Sometimes anger or at least annoyance burns within us.
In fact, we all burn energy.
Burn and sift.

If you do not burn,
if I do not burn,
if we do not burn,
how will the darkness become light?

Burn.
Burn and sift.
Sift together.
Sift with purpose,
continuity, and conviction.

Come to new realizations:
we cannot be who we are or become new
without burning and sifting.

Over the heads of the disciples (Mary, the Apostles and many more) on Pentecost,
the fire of the Holy Spirit burned,
calling each of them to proclaim and shape the emerging Body of Christ.
Burn and sift.
Respond and relate.
Come and become
holy and whole.

These are indispensables of
becoming one in Christ, of
sharing Life in Christ.

Lent urges us to prepare thoroughly
for Easter this year.
Easter, ever the same, always new,
glowing on the horizon
toward which we hurry.

Will you?
Will I?
Will we
awaken the stilled alleluia
on that Day of days?

~Sister Joan Sobala