Lenten Thoughts

When I was a seminarian preparing for the priesthood we had a tradition of holding a fancy dress party on Shrove Tuesday. This was our last social event until after the Easter Vigil at the end of Lent. Togther with my fellow students and staff great effort was put into making the most elaborate of costumes. I remember my scripture professor, a Redemptorist Priest coming dressed as St Catherine Laboure - complete with whimple and veil!!!

The next day after the party was over we attended Mass for Ash Wednesday. The fancy dress costumes has been laid aside and there we stood before the altar in our everyday clothes to hear the priest say as he placed ashes on our heads 'Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.'

In the afternoon a few of us would go off to Canterbury Cathedral to attend Evenong. On one such visit I noticed the tomb of Archbishop Henry Chichele.

Archbishop Henry Chichele founded All Souls College, Oxford, in 1438, to provide education for future public servants and scholars, in the service of the king. The tomb was erected for him in 1424-6. The archbishop died in 1443. His tomb shows him in splendid robes, and as a naked corpse lying on a shroud below.

Ultimately that tomb is an image of what God asks of us during this Lenten Season. He asks us to put away our masks, our fancy dress, the things that hide our true selves from Him and others. He asks that we humble ourselves before Him. He calls us to stand naked before Him so that He may clothe us in the image of His Divine Son.