Tuesday in the First Week of Lent

In the course of his 16 year career with the Yankees, Joe DiMaggio hit 361 home runs, had a lifetime batting average of .325 , and hit safely in 56 consecutive games, a record he still holds today. Which of these accomplishments qualifies him as an authority on coffee makers? -- MAD Magazine.

Celebrity endorsements gain their currency because of a mystique we allow. We allow a sports figure, movie star, or war hero to tell us what we want to eat, drink, purchase, and yes, even who we should vote for or against. We forsake all objectivity and cease to question their action, we even cut them slack we would not give to someone we truly love -- a son, a daughter, or a spouse. Under their spell we are persuaded to acquiesce in our own indignity.

Celebrities themselves are not immune to the siren song of some other celebrities' mystique. Who seems to be swooning more -- a senior public official or the movie star testifying or going out to dinner or a ball game with each other. They each seem to seek to bolster their own status by keeping the company of each other.

Christ took a different approach. He sought the company of sinners, tax collectors and the poor. Maybe this Lenten season we should seek the company of the least and not the most. I suspect if we all did, we would be surprised how profoundly our lives change for the better.