My Brothers and Sisters,

Are you listening to me?  Focus!

It would be difficult to enumerate the many times in our lives in which we have spoken or heard these words.  Probably a wife asks this question more often of her husband.  Then again, it could be the other way around.  Parents ask this question of their children.  I also ask this question of my students.  God Himself had this experience:  “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!” (Mk12:28-30)  It can probably be said that there is not a person on earth who has not been asked this question or asked it of others.  We’ve probably just become used to the fact that our attention span is not maintained.

When I think of the liturgical readings for the first Sunday of Lent, I am drawn to the word “man”.   I’m thinking of Eve in particular and of her discussion with the Serpent.  Eve obviously had not paid much attention to what God had said.  When the Serpent asked what instructions God had given to her and Adam, she answered that they were not to eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, nor even touch it, or they would die. But God never said anything about touching the tree.  I think that attention is important in our lives.  Failing to focus can lead to serious consequences and the suffering associated with it.

Brothers and Sisters, this week let us turn our attention to the everyday situations to which we are accustomed (talking to God, to our spouse, to our family, turning on the gas in the kitchen, driving our car, etc.)

Good luck!

Fr.  Paul Barwikowski