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Reflections > Lent 2009

Think About These Things
by Sr. Val Roxburgh

Catherine Marshall, the well known author of the novel “Christy”, offers a challenging and transformational Lenten reflection on fasting which she calls “Fasting from Criticalness.” We can reflect on this concept through the Gospel:

“Stop judging that you may not be judged.  For as you judge so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.”
-- Matthew 7:1-2 

Marshall invites us to “fast” from making ANY critical statements for one day.  She points out how quickly we can attempt to justify our critical nature under the guise of “righteous judgment” because society has standards and limits in order to function properly.  As Marshall prayed and made a concerted effort to not make any critical statements on this particular day, she observed the following:

1. She experienced a void in her flow of communication with her family and colleagues.  It became very apparent to her that critical discourse had become engrained in her daily conversations. 
2. Through prayerful reflection, she recognized that her critical nature had not corrected a single one of the multitudinous things that she had found fault with.  What it had done was to stifle her own creativity in prayer, in relationships, perhaps even in writing ideas that God wanted to giver her.
3. In sharing the results of her experiment with others, they admitted that criticalness was a major problem at their place of work, in their marriage, and with their children.

I have experienced in my own life how critical dialogue can create a negative energy that tends to take on a life of its own.  Marshall points out that this critical spirit often manifests itself through talking about people behind their back.  This behavior does not produce a positive change in anyone or anything.  Lent offers us a new opportunity for us to grow in our relationship with God and to transform our negative thought patterns and behaviors.  As Richard Foster states, “fasting reveals what controls us.”

To achieve positive change, we can follow St. Paul's encouragement to focus our mind:

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
--Philippians 4:8