Many of us bear crosses which are hidden from the world. They come in many shapes and sizes — but, like the Cross of Christ, they weigh us down; they bring us pain; they crush our spirit; they may even lead us to ask — as did Jesus: “my God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Well, the sentence is in: “We’ve all been found guilty of sin.” But the Judge is clement — in fact, he is merciful. While we deserve a much more harsh punishment for our transgressions against his Laws — God has given us another chance to make things right. We are on probation for six weeks — 40 some days in which we, through prayer, fasting and charity, are called to turn our lives around for the better. We are to refrain from sinning and seek holiness wherever we can. We are to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel, which is to say, we are to be faithful to the Good News of God’s love made incarnate in Jesus.