This is the time of year as Spring arrives when people often think about renovating their home or redecorating one of the rooms.  Who hasn’t watched an episode of Home Improvement and seriously thought about their own house or apartment?  Look at the circulars in the Sunday newspaper and you will find many ads for remodeling kitchens and bathrooms as well as the seasonal sales at furniture stores.  Yes, renewing or refreshing or redecorating our homes necessarily happens every now and then.  

In the season of Lent we also focus on our plans and ongoing work for improving our lives.  Because we meet God in our daily living, our homes become a place where the Lord dwells in our midst.  We often refer to our own bodies as Temples of the Holy Spirit.  And so the work of “self-improvement” can become a suitable partner to any “home improvement” project we may undertake.

Saint John Chrysostom, a Bishop in the early Church, had this to say about how we can improve not just our homes but also our lives.  He said,  “Paint your house with the colors of humility.  Make it radiant with the light of justice.  Decorate it with the finest gold leaf of good deeds. Adorn it with the walls and stones of faith and generosity. Crown it with the pinnacle of prayer.  In this way you will make it a perfect dwelling place for the Lord. You will be able to receive him as in a splendid palace.”

 May these days of Lent continue to help and inspire us to improve our homes and our lives.