Tomorrow begins the liturgical season of lent. This is a forty-day season of preparation and repentance that precedes the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. Before we feast, though, we are called to fast, and before we celebrate newness of life and the power of God, we are called to let go, surrender, and remember the humility of our Lord. This season of Lent I invite you to enter into this journey of letting go, surrendering, and remembering the humility of Christ and how he modeled walking steadily toward Jerusalem to fulfill the will of his God.
This season, will you intentionally alter your living and rhythms to go with less, surrender more, and discipline yourself to be more aware of bending to the will of your God?
It may take the form of a fast, flexing your schedule to allow for times of silence, observing the hours, committing to serving regularly at a mission or soup kitchen; the options are varied. One observance I am going to add to my practice of Lent is daily praying the following:
I beseech you, Jesus, loving Saviour, to show yourself to all who seek you, so that we may know you and love you.
May we love you alone
and desire you alone
and keep you always in our thoughts.
May love for you possess our hearts.
May affection for you fill our senses
so that we may love all else in you.
Jesus, king of glory
You know how to give greatly
and you have promised great things.
Nothing is greater than yourself; we ask nothing of you but yourself.
You are our life
our light
our food
and our drink
our God
and our all.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, our all in all, Amen.
(From: A Celtic Primer compiled by Brendan O’Malley)
May we keep a holy Lent.
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