Reflection for Ash Wednesday

Self-respect – growing into our best selves

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of  God dwells in you?   1 Cor 3:16-23

I am a fan of the old Andy Griffith show, and I remember Andy encouraging his son Opie, telling him “Act like you’re somebody!” – which means “show some respect for yourself” or “act like you’re worth something.

” The quote from St. Paul reminds us that we don’t need to “act” – we are somebody, we are worth a great deal to God.

What an amazing thing

 to think that each one of us is a sacred place for God to call home! Lent is time when we are encouraged to take a look at how we are living our lives. Are we caring for our temple, or is it becoming too cluttered? Is our heart and soul a welcoming, comfortable place for God, or is it becoming unhabitable?

It isn’t about luxury accommodation – any of us can get a 5-star rating if we are loving and honest (at least most of the time!) God doesn’t expect perfection.

It really is a matter of becoming our best selves – being the best person we can be. Lent is a perfect time to be more mindful of whether we are behaving and thinking at our best or whether we are cutting a few too many corners.

May this Lent be a time of growth for all of us!

—Sister Joan Marie Stelman, SVP, Mission Integration