Why is that our Church and many of the saints throughout history and even some of our Church leaders encourage what we might consider a lean lifestyle?Soon we begin Lent. There will be calls to join our universal community in extra time for prayer, for sacrificial giving and fasting. Again, we surely might ask why. The answer is simple: a lean lifestyle is encouraged so that we remain steadfast in our intention to follow closely in Jesus' footsteps. Specifically we make sacrifices to reduce the distraction that would keep us from our purpose.
The gospel story today, the sending out of the disciples is a reminder to them and to us: discipleship is a serious business. Why is it so serious? Because it is about much more than the individual disciple. It is about those who lives are made much better by the discipline of the disciples. (Note the root for the two words!)
Just as "staying up too late" or "not exercising enough" or "not practicing enough" are distractions for those who are perfecting themselves , so too, discipleship demands that we do all we can to prevent distractions that separate us from our own purpose, our own intention in life.
In these pre-Lenten days we have the time to look at our lives to discover where we disciples need Lenten disciplines to strengthen us.
