Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me

.

When I was a teenager, I remember every year at Lent when my brothers and I were deciding on our Lenten sacrifice, my father would announce that he was giving up watermelon. It became very much a family joke, and even today, over 25 years after his death, we still laugh about his annual Lenten offering. My father did not have an inordinate love for watermelon. Instead, this annual announcement of his personal Lenten offering was more his way of saying that he was not going to reveal to us his personal Lenten penance.

My dad was not one to dodge sacrifice. In fact, the year he died, just four days after Easter, he had given up smoking for Lent. I was in college at the time and did not know of his sacrifice until Easter day. I don't think anyone but my mother knew. So while he may have been making personal sacrifice at Lent, he wasn't big on advertising it.

As an adult, I've been that way about Lent. I don't like announcing my personal penance and there could be several reasons why. It could be that, subconsciously, I don't want anyone else tallying my failings. But, I also think it means more if I keep it just between me and my Lord.

Which is why I surprised myself the other day when I decided to "declare" my Lenten offering here. The only reason I am telling you about it is because I am really looking forward to it. Lord help me if someone starts tallying my failings -- I'll have to try and offer that up, too.

I came about this personal penance last week when I was cleaning up the kitchen for the 800th time one day. Putting away some snacks the kids had left out, hobbling around the kitchen with my sore back, wiping up messy counters, I stopped myself just before I bellowed, "Whoever left these snacks out, you didn't clean up your mess." (Or it's more likely I would have smartly yelled, "Hey kids, the maid is out sick this week. Clean up your mess.") I thought to myself, what would I do if Jesus had left this mess? I know what I would have done, I would have quietly cleaned up, all the time grateful for His presence.

Why shouldn't my family receive the same treatment? Created in His image and likeness, my children and husband should be treated the same way I would treat my Lord. Mother Teresa used to say that each one of us is Jesus in disguise. And our Blessed Mother likely never criticized her Son for leaving His dirty clothes on the bedroom floor. I imagine she patiently cared for Him, counting her blessings every day.

So, this Lent I am going to make every effort to keep my comments to myself and to care for my family as Mother Teresa cared for the poor -- as though she were caring for Jesus, and as Jesus' mother Mary cared for her earthly family. She wasn't worried about how her family treated her. She fulfilled her family duties with humility and love.

Of course, I may occasionally grumble under my breath about dirty undies and socks on the floor next to the hamper, but I'll do my best to count those socks as blessings and appreciate every moment with the ones I love.

Today's Gospel confirmed that I made the right choice about this year's Lenten sacrifice:

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."

.