Lent Reflections: Today, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. As a Roman Catholic, I will spend the next forty days in acts of penance, almsgiving, abstaining, and fasting like many others. However, Lent isn’t just about giving up something. Personally, I often add ‘doing something’ to my list. Frankly, sometimes ‘doing’ is harder than ‘not doing’. For example, I aim to pray more and spend quiet time reading spiritual books during Lent. Surprisingly, disciplining myself for these activities becomes a challenge amidst daily life. I find myself caught up in mundane tasks, and before I know it, the day ends, leaving me scrambling to find a few extra minutes for spiritual reading.
Yes, Lent is truly a special time. It gives us a finite number of days that we can challenge ourselves to focus on our relationship with God. We fast and abstain with a higher purpose, not merely to shed a few pounds. These acts of discipline, although solitary, are not performed in isolation. 1.2 billion Roman Catholics will be striving to make Lent meaningful to our salvation.
One of the best commentaries on Lent was written by Sister Joan Chittister. Her thoughts about Lent hit a special chord in my heart.
[quote]Lent is the time for trimming the soul and scrapping the sludge off a life-turned slipshod. Lent is about taking stock of time, even religious time. Lent is about exercising the control that enables us to say no to ourselves so that when life turns hard of its own accord, we have the stamina to say yes to its twists and turns with faith and hope…. Lent is the time to make new efforts to be what we say we want to be. ~Sister Joan Chittister[/quote]Editorial Update: We strive to keep our content accurate and up-to-date. As part of our ongoing efforts, this article has been moved from Personal Musings to HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS on 09/14/2023.
