What I Told Chumly This Morning...

I've got to get to work in a minute. But because I got up a bit early I had a few minutes to write to "Chumly"  Who's Chumly. He's some British chap. Actually, he's no one really. Just some guy up there in my writer's imagination, I suppose. But if you have a couple of minutes, maybe you'll find something here that'll be helpful to you to keep that Lenten spirit fired up today, even as you go through your busy day of work...

Yes, Chumly, I feel reasonably fed – with mortifications that is. Oh, and with a bit of extra prayer too.

You do know it’s Lent, don’t you. And you know how we Catholics do a bit more than the usual during Lent. A bit of prayer, a bit of sacrifice, a bit more charity. Ah, that's it: a bit more for Lent. And it’s all for the good you know.

The good of what? Why for the good of the old soul, of course. Yes, that old thing. The soul’s a poor old chap born bad, made good by baptism, but always tending to go bad again. Sure we can blame those first parents of our, if you want – Adam and Eve. They turned their backs on Paradise. Imagine? They had it all and wanted yet more. Human beings from the first, I suppose. 

Then again, isn't it the way most of us live now? So I guess we really can't blame then. It’s no matter how much we’ve got; there’s always more to get. And in Lent, that’s one of the things we’re supposed to think about and “work on” – just so we can get Heaven, I suppose.

Oh, right, and so we can love Our Lord more. Yes, it’s really not supposed to be just about us, Chumly. It’s supposed to be about Him. If all we come away with is feeling satisfied – you know, reasonably fed, like I said before – well, that’s not quite the point. Feeling satisfied just focuses everything on ourselves. We feel fed because we’ve fed our self-love. But that’s not the same as loving Christ.

Loving Christ is putting Him first; it’s putting ourselves off. And if we’re not careful that bit of prayer, sacrifice and charity only winds up puffing us up a bit, doesn't it? (A bit for a bit; yes, that's what I'd say.) And that bit sits on top of what’s already puffed up to begin with – at least that’s how it is with me.

My soul’s a puffy thing, all stuffed with self. That’s the “old man” you read about. I’m all stuffed like a fat sausage ready to burst through its casing. And I’m filled with me. The good news is it’s occurred to me there’s just no more room in that old casing for me. I’m feeling a bit stuffy about all this. So I really do want to get rid of that old man, old man.

Of course, I’ll need help with this. I really can’t seem to get from what I want to do to actually doing anything about it. So I’ll need Our Lord to give me the grace to actually do something about it.

What do I want to do? Forget me; forget self. Think about Him. Instead of doing what I want, do what He wants.

But aren’t I saying that “I” want get rid of that old man. Ah, caught myself, didn’t I? Yes, but the only reason that thought even occurs to me is because He put some grace into my old brain and got me thinking straight – right through the puffiness that insulates not just my soul from right living, but my mind too from right thinking. Yes, that’s it. He’s planted a bit of grace into that puffed up brain.

Yes, Chumly, I know it’s a bit confusing. In fact, I'm starting to confuse myself. It’s not clear thinking for sure. But it’s all a puffed-up brain like mine can manage here so early in the morning.