Last week, I noticed water dripping through my office ceiling while someone was using the restroom on the 2nd floor of our office building. Thankfully, it was a new leak and we acted quickly to get it fixed. Unfortunately, we had to tear up my office ceiling to access the pipe. Doubly unfortunately, it was a lead pipe, and plumbers today are not allowed to patch lead pipes; they must replace the entire length of pipe with modern plastic materials, and that pipe ran a good length. So, my office ceiling is torn to pieces and my books from one bookshelf are scattered everyone.
In the process, though, we discovered that when the house keepers’ quarters were converted into the current pastor’s office, the ceiling was lowered by about a foot. We had no idea! And neither did the plumber, who was frustrated by the sheer amount of material he had to cut through.
Somewhere in here is an analogy for Lent. The leak is those small, persistent sins and vices that are going to do severe damage if they are left unaddressed. To get at them, we must cut through way more material than we initially thought we would [extra penance!], and in the process everything feels chaotic and disorganized. Even after we make progress on fixing the sin, it takes us awhile to build ourselves back up again.
So, when you next come into my office, and the ceiling is not yet fixed (which it may not be for another year), just remember I am “purposefully” leaving it that way as an analogy for the spiritual life. ;-P
Fr. Moore 