Ash Wednesday

Universal hunger: Chapter One talks about the superficiality of our culture and society how illusion and appearances matter more than substance. And that has created a hunger that I have seen in many people, many of those people I have met in ministry. I've seen it in young adults, too. So many people searching for something that is not well-defined for them.
And so many websites, podcasts and books seek to fill that hunger, satisfy their yearning, tell them how to find it.
At every Easter Vigil, at many RCIA sessions, I've witnessed the joy people feel when they find the thing they've been searching for. The grown man, kneeling in the poll as the holy water is poured over him, raising his face to experience fully every drop of that life-giving water as it is poured down on him, huge smile lighting his face. The elderly man too arthritic to climb into the pool unaided, but so wanting to experience the sensation of baptismal water flowing down on him. The young woman, normally meticulous about her appearance, grinning from ear to ear as her hair drips.
What have they found that made them so unashamedly filled with joy?
Is it the same thing so many others are searching for but are clueless about?
They came before us timidly, months ago, asking to be baptized or seeking to be welcomed into our congregation, to become one with the Body of Christ on Earth. And on the holiest of holy nights, their wishes are fulfilled and it's better than they had imagined.
This has been happening for 2,000 years, the seeking, the hunger for truth and light, the need to find God and get to know him in all his glory and mercy.
If we all hunger for the same thing, why is it so difficult to find, to grasp and embrace?
And most of all, why are so many young adults feeling that hunger, yet rejecting the very thing they long for?
I know people who practice the basic tenets of Christianity more faithfully than most professed Christians, yet they reject God, they do not accept the divine nature of Jesus, they attribute all their good works to themselves, to their own innate goodness.
They reject the idea that as humans, we are broken and in need of God's mercy. They reject the notion that they need to be anything other than what they are. And yet still they search.
They've seen the hypocrites who would exploit them for personal gain, and they reject that. Perhaps they reject all of Christianity because of those relative few.
How can they know truth? How do we recognize God, the true and living God?
It's the truth that we all seek, the goodness for its own sake, the kind of truth we willingly make sacrifices for because that truth is so much better than any material gain.
And it's there, waiting to be found, that truth.
Where do you search for truth? In the shopping mall or salon? In working longer hours so you can buy a fancier house or new car? On television or YouTube? In books that promise (you fill in the blank, I guarantee you'll find a book or video promising to share the secret of how to achieve or find it)? Do you send money to televangelists who promise salvation if you just send them one more check, who preach what is sometimes called the "gospel of prosperity" because it promises if you send enough money, God will shower you with prosperity, good health and a pleasant life?
I found a sense of belonging in Catholicism. I found a faith that encourages me to reflect on my values, to consider its teachings carefully and to apply those teachings to my everyday life. I found a faith that teaches me to love others unconditionally, to put the needs of others before my own, that promises nothing in terms of worldly wealth but does guide me toward a clearer conscience and a sense of comfort in knowing I am loved even in the broken, imperfect condition I am in today.
Where are you searching? To whom do you turn? What do you seek?

And Chapter 2: The Prevailing Philosophy
This talks about culture, our high-speed, information-overload, throwaway, trend-seeking, ideology-driven world.
And it asks: What is your personal philosophy?
Do you believe in the American version of rugged individualism? Or do you feel a need to live in community with others, the "it takes a village" concept? Maybe it's something in between.
Chapter two talks about some problematic philosophies, too, like hedonism, individualism, and minimalism.
Catholics live in community -- the family is a basic community, but also their faith community and the community of the worldwide Church. Further, we live in community with those who went before us -- the communion of saints.
We are all connected. That's a concept I see repeated a lot on social media these days. One of the few, actually, that I agree with. We ARE all connected. And we ARE our brothers' keepers.
Here's a question to ponder: Would you be happier if you could have all the naterial goods you desired but no friends, or if you had many, many friends, but little in way of material wealth or goods? Don't answer quickly, think about it for a few days. Put yourself in each scenario, think about living that way for the rest of your life.
Which would make you happier -- giving up your material wealth to have a multitude of friends or shunning your friends so you could have worldly riches? And consider what impact each option would have on your community -- your town, your workplace, your church, your family, your neighborhood. It's a good question to mull as we enter the penitential season of Lent this year.
Have a blessed day.