Let us set ourselves to know the Lord:
That He will come is as certain
as the dawn
He will come to us as showers come,
Like Spring rains watering the earth.
[Hosea 6: 3]
Lent coincides with the season of Spring which calls all of us
to new life in its own beautiful way. The Resurrection of Christ
celebrated at Easter is a feast of rebirth and renewal of life.
It is the central experience of the Christian church’s
liturgical year. Christ's whole life was a preparation for
His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Before beginning his public
ministry at the age of thirty, he spent forty days in the desert
of Judea fasting and praying. His purpose was to focus a vision
and understanding of Himself in preparation for His absolute
commitment to God's will. It could be called an experience
of purification of intention.
Followers of Christ prepare for their own death and resurrection
every day. The forty days of Lent offer an opportunity to
explore more deeply different dimensions of that preparation.
The Christian
journey begins at Baptism and there is an emphasis on the
theme of baptism during the Lenten period.
Traditionally in Christian
churches, and today in the young churches throughout the world,
adult catechumens prepare
for baptism at
this time. They receive Baptism and become members of the
Church on Easter night when the Resurrection of Christ
is celebrated.
For those of us already baptised Lent is an opportunity
to renew our promises. For this we need to make space to pray,
reflect
and repent of those things in our lives that diminish,
disrupt
or distort our ability to respond with heart and soul to
the Christian message. However, changing old ways demands
attention,
determination and the birth of new desire. Part of that
process is the purification of intentions and actions . . . a
kind
of checking out of our underlying motives. This in itself
can lead
to a more creative and wholesome way of being which in
itself is an experience of resurrection.
While this time of preparation is a personal challenge for each
one of us, the real test of our ability to live a more enlightened
life is through our experience of relationships and community.
When Jesus completed His life's journey, He sent the Holy Spirit
to guide us along the path of His vision and example. The Holy
Spirit indicated the most life-giving approach was through
a community of believers where the mind, heart and actions
of each individual is shared in a communion of lives.
We have chosen five main themes that emerged from the Scripture
readings of the five weeks of Lent - Restraint, Transfiguration,
Understanding, Generosity and Response. The themes are explored
in a series of questions, one for each day of the week throughout
the five weeks. The questions will hopefully connect in a very
real way with your own experience. However, other quite different
questions might spontaneously arise for you and it is important
to explore these above all. The programme is designed to encourage
a reflective journey, a journey that has been followed throughout
history, but you will foIlow it in your own unique way.
Yet sometimes when the sun comes
through a gap
These men knew God the Father in a tree.
The Holy Spirit is the rising sap.
And Christ will be the green leaves
that will come
At Easter from the sealed and
guarded tomb.
[Patrick Kavanagh: The Great Hunger]
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