As kids, many of us were encouraged, probably taught that Lent with its “lengthening days” was about “giving up something,” usually candy or sweets. Adults sometimes tried giving up smoking or other habits that needed attention. Lent became sort of an “endurance project” to the point of competition. I gave up more than you gave up! Was God even in the picture?
Today, we are adults and we need to embrace the journey of Lent as adults. Lent is a 40-day leg of our life’s journey; a time to zero in on some specific facet, dimension of our life that will lead us to a greater awareness and clarity of who we are, where we are on our life’s journey, and how that will unfold into the future. All of the above in the context of how God’s Love will be made more tangible through the choices we make individually and as a Community.
As Americans, we are in a unique time in our country. The majority of voters opted to elect a person who is consumed with power and control, who has no respect for anyone, who has the ability to address the entire country and lie. Some examples that come to mind are blaming former President Biden for the airplane-helicopter crash at Reagan National Airport, January 29, 2025; continuing to state that he, in fact, won the 2020 election which he did not; blaming Ukraine for starting the war against Russia. The list goes on. You can find more documented information on this topic on your own.
Why am I sharing this information on my blog? Because the line of decency and moral standards has been crossed. This is our country. It belongs to all of us. We hold ourselves to a certain level of decency and moral and ethical standards. When those moral and ethical standards are not only ignored but trampled upon, we must – each of us – speak out.
On Ash Wednesday, one of the prayers is, “Turn away from sin, and live out the Gospel.” Living out the Gospel calls us to stand up for the poor.
President Trump said (February 25, 2025) on Tuesday the US would sell a “gold card” to wealthy foreigners, giving them the right to live and work in the US and offering a path to citizenship in exchange for a $5 million fee. Wealthy people will be coming into our country while hundreds of our own citizens are homeless, lacking food, housing and medical care. Hundreds more children and adults are being deported. That is beyond moral and ethical standards.
The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor.
We often sing a hymn in our Church,
All are welcome, all are welcome
All are welcome in this place.
Yet, in a recent NYTimes article (February 16, 2025), columnist, Carlos Lozada states: “The second Trump administration is delivering a clear message: The United States is full of the wrong kind of people. The president is shrinking the idea of who ‘we the people’ includes.”
Such a view is antithetical to the Gospel we are called to live.
The US Senate and the House of Representatives are an electorate. We elect these women and men to represent our values. There have always been differences between the two major parties, Republican and Democrat, but we have always managed to reach some joint decisions amicably even if we differ. Unfortunately, a significant number of Republicans, almost all, and no doubt, some few Democrats have been cowered by Trump and vote his agenda even though they must know at some point that they are “caving in.”
We must stand up, speak out, and be alert to what is going on. We must not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by chaos and paralyzed by fear.
We must stand up and respond intelligently to what we know is wrong and what is simply false. We need to create communities of encouragement, so we know we are not alone and don’t feel powerless. Numbers count. We must contact our US Senators and Representatives even if you think it is a waste of time. It isn’t. We elect our senators and representatives. If they hear from enough of us they will listen. That is where our power is: speaking out, sending emails, making phone calls. It’s so simple, we ignore the option. With Medicaid facing serious cuts, we must inform our senators and representatives that we oppose severe cuts that will harm the poor, elderly, young, those with special needs and disabilities, mental health services, and nursing home services.
I close with a quote from Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb.”
If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.
That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb, if only we dare.
It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit.
It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.
Make it a “take charge” Lent.
Bridget
Call the Congressional switchboard, (202) 224-3121, and ask for your US Senator(s) or Representative. Most likely you will talk to one of your elected official’s aides. The aids keep close tabs on numbers of calls and what is the message. You can also go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov for phone and email addresses.
The Annunciation Blog 
Bridget,
This is a very powerful & important message. You are so correct that we do have power when we speak up and that #s do count. Thank you for writing this message and giving us the contact info. You gave a positive message of what we can do to counteract the negative actions of our political leaders and I hope others will realize this and do something about it, I plan to.
Blessings with gratitude, Mary Lou
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