Haste makes waste

Haste makes waste. Friday morning was busy. We had several events in the parish this weekend and sneaking away for a quick swim was tricky. I had my goggles, my towel, my flippers, my wallet. So I jumped in the car and just as I was arriving at the Aquatic Center, I realized I forgot my swimsuit. Haste makes waste.

Easter Sunday is only three weeks away and Lent is more than half-way over. The Church encourages us to hasten toward that wonderful celebration which is filled with so much joy and hope and is the source of our strength, even in the toughest of times. But, as we remember, haste can make waste. And if we're not careful, sometimes we can neglect even the most important things.

The Gospel story is a great example of this. A man, blind from the day he was born, miraculously receives his sight and how to the Pharisees respond? Do they celebrate? Do they throw a big party for him and his family? Do they initiate prayers of praise and thanksgiving in the synagogue? No. Instead they throw him out. How could they be so neglectful of such an important thing as delighting in the glory of God? It's hard to say. But we can do the same thing if we're not careful. As lent moves quickly toward Easter, and as the Church encourages us to hasten toward that celebration, let's not overlook the key portion of our Lenten preparation. What are our key defects that need correction? What virtues should we strive to acquire? What vices should we uproot?

The vehicle for our hastening to Easter is the fulfillment of our Lenten preparation. Like the blind man who went directly to the pool of Siloam and washed, may we too hasten complete our lenten observance and so arrive at the joy of the resurrection.