Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the annual Lenten fast.

Every year, I try to write at least one post a day, reflecting on the scriptural readings of the day, culminating on Easter Sunday. Sometimes it’s hit, sometimes it’s miss.

In my homily this morning, I talked about the importance of focusing ourselves during this period of time on thing spiritual rather than corporal. The world today, especially, invites us to fear, Collectively, I invite each of us in community to reject this as often as we can, focusing instead on the light of Christ within us all.

Already this afternoon, listening to the news, I slipped. It’s impossible not to. I’m drawn to recall something Venerable Fulton Sheen once said about listening to the news–we can’t do anything about it, don’t focus on it. Think globally, act locally, in essence.

When you find yourself in the throws of anxiety listening to the next moves a politician describes, or the reports of a battle, or famine, focus inward. Find if you can, even slightly, the light of Christ. Take time during your day when serving others, when alone in silence, when in traffic or at the grocery store, taking out the trash, cleaning the toilet: look inward, find the love of God, dwell there.