By Sister Mary Scholastica, O.C.D.
It’s still Lent! I should hope so as we’re still only in the first week of Lent and for the record, just beginning it. Lent 2023! How are you doing? Pulse check…
At the end of Ash Wednesday, it felt like an entire week of Lent had already passed by. And today, standing only on the threshold of the first week of Lent, I feel as if we’re already mid-way into the entire season. 😊 What does that say about me? 🙂 Actually, what does it say about my attitude and spirit toward Lent? Lastly and most importantly, what does it say about God’s grace at work during this time?
I think Lent 2023 was one of the first times I was excited about Lent. Excited isn’t the right word. More accurately put, Lent felt very welcome. So welcome! The spirit of the season – prayer, fasting, almsgiving, denial of self for a higher good, etc. felt needed. A “structure” to support the direction I knew I needed and desired to go in a deeper fashion. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you felt this way.
The fragility of life is all around us. We have our own woundedness that we need to face, and we bump into each other’s wounded areas all the time, all day long. Knowing that Jesus (with His wounds from His passion and death, from our sins) walks beside us is what makes the life journey of a Christian different. And during Lent, in a specific way, He walks BEFORE us to lead us to the resurrection. There IS a resurrection. We know it with certainty.
This realization has landed in a more significant way this year post-pandemic, post-natural disasters (earthquakes in Turkey and elsewhere), post-wars (Ukraine and elsewhere), post-senseless horrific crimes (the death of our beloved Bishop Dave). I note “post” understanding it is past, present, and future. And through it all, yes, there IS a resurrection. This is what we are faithfully, trustingly walking towards holding Jesus’ hand. This life journey of ours with all its hills and valleys to the eternity that awaits us.
Don’t give up. Get back up. Try again. Re-engage. Let this Lent be your very best Lent because you showed up as your real self as you are, every day, trusting in the Lord’s promises to heal all wounds, raise the dead to life, and bring us to eternal life. God bless you!
