Friday of the First Week of Lent
On September 24, 2015, Pope Francis addressed the Joint Session of the United States Congress. He stated, “Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility.” He cited four Americans who helped “preserve the dignity of fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good.” Two of these persons were Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.
No one who knew them in their youth would have predicted such accolades from a Pope. Neither was born Catholic. Both grew up in relatively unreligious homes and lived undisciplined lives. Both had a sense of a higher purpose, however; a calling to go beyond themselves through serving others. Dorothy Day strove for social justice and the rights of persons. Thomas Merton helped nurture the capacity for dialogue and openness to God. These callings led them to the Catholic Church and to lifelong vocations of service in the Catholic Worker movement and in a Trappist monastery, respectively.
Regardless of our particular vocation, there are many opportunities to practice and extend the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. May God help us use the talents we have for the good of those around us.
Reflection by Br. Jacob Kubajak, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources