Help
With Your Rule
What's the Purpose of Lent?
Dear Holly,
As Lent approaches I am always at a loss to understand what I should be focusing on - what sacrifice(s) and/or extra effort to eliminate sin I should choose and why. In searching the internet I have found nothing to help me prepare for this important time. Can you recommend some reading - either books or internet that could help?
Do you have a standard approach each year? Would some of your readers share their thoughts and plans? Please understand that I'm not talking about "stuff" to do like some of the Catholic culture books and articles recommend for families, but more something to help me decide what to "be."
Labels: 1st P Prayer
posted by Holly at 8:24 AM
5 Comments:
Thank you for your question, and I invite MROL readers to recommend resources they use to help them prepare for Lent.
My thoughts on this - I think you are looking for 'meaning' in Lent - it's purpose, really. And that's good. It's not about adopting practices randomly, but about knowing why you do what you do.
In my life, Lent is a time to draw closer to God, primarily by attacking my own internal disorder. The goal of all of life is to become balanced enough inside so we can experience a deep communion with God, and love others as God calls us to - responding in love, not reacting without thinking. For me, I look at Lent as a time to make healthy decisions, to control my own selfishness, to offer the uncomfortableness of acting against my own nature to God,(whether that's fasting or making my bed), asking him to set me straight and bring me closer to Him.
In my opinion, the priniciples set out in the First and Second Ps - Prayer and Person - are the reasons for Lent, especially as it pertains to our regeneration, our movement toward integrity within our persons.
As such, even the conscious intent to live our Mother's Rule, to live it more fully and faithfully, is a type of penance and mortification. It does me no good, I figure, to give up sweets if I still won't get my housework done or pray regularly. I think the purpose of all mortification is to open ourselves to do God's Will more fully -
So as you pray and ponder about what might be the most effective form of Lenten fast or penance, it would be good to look over your life and ask "What in my life is disordered?" and "What do I think God would like me to consciously work on at this time of my life?" and "What in my life is an obstacle to getting closer to God?". Then, begin acting on this - with the goal of leveling the mountains and filling in the valleys, to make a straight way for the Lord.
As for reading, there are many books out there - The Imitation of Christ is a good Lenten reflection book; My Daily Bread & My Daily Life by Fr Paone; or any other spiritual book which will lead you to examine your life and relationship with God.
I went to my bookshelves a little later, and found the perfect book which will not only shed fresh light on Lent, but would make excellent reflection throughout the season.
"Spirit of Penance: Path to God" by Dom Hubert Van Zellar.
Like everything Van Zellar writes, it is profound - there are 'answers' in every paragraph! If you are interested in it, you can get it from Sophia Institute Press. Just hop on the link "Order MROL" on the main page, and it will take you to Sophia's website.
P.S. I posted a couple of excerpts in "Thoughts for Moms" so you can see what it's like! :-)
For me, the clearest understanding of Lent comes when I view it as a season of preparation for the joyful celebration of Easter. Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection are the greatest, most wonderful gift that has ever been given -- the gift of Salvation. In order to most joyfully and appreciatively receive this gift, my heart must be focused as fully as possible on Jesus. Lent has the purpose of focus -- of making me as mindful as possible of how far I am from God, and of how loving and generous and unfathomable (and unmerited) is the gift of Salvation. So, any sacrifice I make or any spiritual practice I emphasize during Lent has as its purpose centering my attention and thoughts on Jesus. For this reason I choose to do something or to give up something that happens regularly, so that my attention will be turned often throughout the day to Jesus; I will be reminded to think about the gift of Salvation that will be celebrated in a particular way at Easter. This focus and attention on the gift of Salvation is where the spiritual growth that takes place during Lent is to be found.
This may not be a definitive, theological answer to "the purpose of Lent," but for me it is a practical answer. I think it is the case that Lent has meaning only when taken in connection with Easter.
Some years I have gone through St. Ignatius Spiritual Exercises during Lent. It has very precise things to do and there are frequent examination of concience. You can purchase the Spiritual Exercises book from Tan books and publishers.
I have also more consistently used my Sacrifice Beads (St. Therese of Liseux) during Lent....kept them in my kitchen, and every time I didn't take that piece of cheese or didn't leave the kitchen without cleaning it or didn't snap at my child....I pulled a bead for one of the intentions on my 'bead list' or thought about one of the sorrowful mysteries. It's amazing how many hundreds of times a day my mind was raised to God doing this. Google: "sacrifice beads therese" or look up www.handmaid-jewelry.com to buy these...or you can make them.
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