02/22/2026 ~ First Sunday in Lent ~ Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 ~ EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8lsD3qvMlA
HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qod-mGvRK1Y

Broken?

“To sum this up, then: just as a single trespass, a single offense, brought condemnation to all, a single righteous act brought to all acquittal and, therefore, brought to all life.” — Romans 5:18

As you heard earlier, we are in the Season of Lent. Now, many of you know my youth was spent in the Roman Catholic tradition. Or as I sometimes say, with a name like Joseph Francis Connolly, Jr. that’s hard to hide.’

When I was young and steeped in that tradition the Catholic exercises followed in Lent way back then are fixed in my memory. The two best known practices, even to those who are not Catholic, are the disciplines of fast and abstinence.’

To explain, abstinence means one abstains, does not eat meat, at specific times. Fish yes, meat no— if you sell seafood that’s good; if you’re a butcher, not so much.’

Fasting is what is sounds like. Don’t eat. But rather than not eating at all, this discipline limits the amount one eats, two smaller meals— probably breakfast and lunch— then a regular third meal. But also no eating between meals— no snacks. In fact, both these might be fairly healthy practices.’

While one was supposed to abstain from meat every Friday throughout the year, Lent stood out for me. After all, I was taught the rules are the rules are the rules. Don’t dare violate the rules, especially in Lent. That felt… stringent. However, the rules changed in 1966.’

The new rules said fast and abstain on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and every Friday during Lent but not the rest of the year. Two footnotes: fasting now applies only to those between the ages of 18 and 59. And even before the new rules, Sundays were always considered feast days, hence no fasting or abstinence required. ‘

Since these are rules, that brings us to the topic of rule breaking. Rule breaking is sometimes done with permission and sometimes without. As to without, I’m sure without permission many people broke or simply ignored the rules promulgated by the church.’

Now, I want to offer an example of rule breaking with permission but I need to tell you the background. I hope this is obvious: I was not just a Catholic. I was an Irish, Catholic New Yorker— a triple threat. And that great Irish holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17th, never falls outside of Lent.’

So what happens with all that fasting and abstinence stuff for good Irish Catholic New Yorkers, especially if Saint Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday? Do you bless some fish and hope tastes like Corned Beef? Faith and begorra, no!’

That’s where the Cardinal of New York City always got involved, intervened and declared a dispensation from the rules. Of course, no good Irish Catholic New Yorker would ever have observed the rules if Saint Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday anyway, no matter what the Cardinal said. That’s probably the real reason for the dispensation. (Slight pause.)’

We hear these words in the work know as Romans: “To sum this up, then: just as a single trespass, a single offense, brought condemnation to all, a single righteous act brought to all acquittal and, therefore, brought to all life.” (Slight pause.)’

At times you may have heard me say I have Jesuit training. My proof: even though the school was staffed by nuns, I graduated from St. Ignatius Loyola Grade School, a place infused with Jesuit ideas and ideals. If you are unfamiliar with St. Ignatius Loyola, a Jesuit and a founder of the Jesuits, please GOOGLE it.’

One fine late spring Friday afternoon I joined a couple buddies from the school and went to Central Park after school. We played some softball. Once that was over I headed for the Subway— not the sandwich shop, the train— I headed for the Subway to go home. As I was about to descend into the depths of the tunnel I encountered and was enticed by one of those ubiquitous New York City hot dog carts.’

Having just exercised in the park, my youthful body was craving food in a way that only a teen craves food, and the aroma wafting from the cart overwhelmed me. I bought a hot dog and laid into it like I had not seen food in years.’

I was standing there on the street, with the hot dog probably 70 percent gone, when there was a tap on my shoulder. It was one of my classmates from the park.’

He said, “That’s a hot dog.”’

Thinking he was losing his grip on reality I said, “Yep, so?”’

He said, “It’s Friday— no meat on Friday.”’

My face must have turned a bright shade of red. Sympathizing and sounding somewhat like a Cardinal, he made a pronouncement which bordered on both a dispensation and an absolution: “Finish the hot dog. It’s too late to stop now.” (Pause.)’

When the reading from Romans was introduced it was said the writings of Paul can be quite convoluted as Paul addresses sin, death, the law, the Christ— all in several sentences. I think a key to understanding Paul, indeed, the key to understanding the entire Letter to the Church in Rome is simple.’

It boils down to this: Christ overcomes and overwhelms the law. Christ overcomes and overwhelms the rules. Christ overcomes and overwhelms legalism.’

And good Irish Catholic New Yorker would put this way: Christ is our dispensation and absolution. Put in a more traditional way, simple way, Jesus loves us. And tell me, what does the law, any law, any rule, any stricture, any fast, any abstinence, have to do with the love of God and the love of neighbor? (Slight pause.)’

This is clear: Lent is not about giving anything up, even though some might claim that’s what it’s about. Lent is not about staying within the rules even, though some might claim that’s what it’s about. Lent is not about living within the law, even though some might claim that’s what it’s about.’

Lent is about living out from the law. Lent is about moving forward tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow as we continue with God’s work, doing God’s work of loving God and loving neighbor.’

Lent is not about sacrifice of any kind, not about broken-ness of any kind. Lent is about the reality of Christ and that reality proclaims we may not be perfect but we are not broken. The reality of Christ proclaims we are all in working order. The reality of Christ proclaims the work we need to be about is the work of God.’

I think Season of Lent is about this: we need to leave a space for God to enter in. We need to be gentle. We need to have a yearning for the truth. We need to explore mercy and display forgiveness.’

We need to seek and to see the face of God in one another. We need to embrace love of God and love of neighbor. We need to make peace because the peace of God is a part of the reality and the presence of God. That reality and that presence does surpass our understanding. (Slight pause.)’

Nothing in what I just said in these last several sentences is about rules. Life in Christ is about living out from the law, living out from the rules. And that is, perhaps, both the real work and the real challenge of Lent: doing the work of God not by living within any law but by living out from the law. Amen.

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “To paraphrase what I said in my News and Notes entry this week: if we really, really, really want to give something up for Lent we can. We can give up racism, homophobia, fear, sexism, pride, greed, worry, doubt, violence of all kinds including economic violence. Yes, there is a lot we can give up, a lot from which we might and should abstain. But let’s think about and concentrate on what we can do, how we can grow, because I think there is a lot we can do and perhaps even a lot we can grow a lot.”

BENEDICTION: Let us learn as faithful disciples of Christ. Let us know that God is available to us at any time and in any place. Let us give thanks for the grace of God in Christ, Jesus. Let us trust in God for all time and for all eternity. And may we love God so much, that we love nothing else too much. May we be so in awe of God that we are in awe of no one and nothing else. Amen.