Elizabeth Kelsey, left, and Sara Pina recite a Hail Mary at the conclusion of an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Mary of Carmel Catholic Church on Feb. 14. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
By Father Timothy Gollob
Special to The Texas Catholic
Charles Dickens had a way with words. In his novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” he penned the famous quote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Most of us have memorized those few words, but Dickens went on to flesh out the meaning of that phrase.
For me, it was the first thing I thought of as I pondered the church’s annual program of Lent. It is a such a good time for us to buckle down and do some heavy-duty fasting and some deep praying and some meaningful almsgiving.
Too many selfies about food and too much fast food have made us perpetually hungry for more. Too many electronic disturbances have made our minds wobble away from an internal conversation with our Creator.
It is the worst of times. But this is a season of hope that things can get better.
Our times have seen an age of wisdom evolve with incredible advances in science and in medicine and in electronic inventions, but a mountain of foolishness has cropped up with every discovery. We have begun to believe in advertising instead of in the truth.
Lent seems to come each year at just the worst of times for cold, bitter weather; but it is the best time to witness the warming of the days and the beauty of spring so that each person can find a love of God and of neighbor expanding in numerous opportunities to make good come out of evil.
The Winter Olympics also have just started.
There have been good and wonderful signs of unity coming to the world; but the worst is also portrayed at those games in the scandals of cheating and of sexual abuses and of petty disputes.
But this is the best time to live as citizens of the City of God. We are summoned to sing praises of the Light, which is certainly coming to dispel the darkness.
Father Timothy Gollob is the pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Oak Cliff.
