This past week, we observed Ash Wednesday, which began the sacred season of Lent.
Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday. This time period provides the faithful an opportunity to fast, pray and intentionally give more to those in need. Rather than being a season of lack, it can be a season of refinement and renewal in our relationship with God.
The ashes we receive on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday are a symbol of our mortality, and come with a sacramental invitation:
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God
For he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.
(Joel 2:12-13)
Typically, people give something up for Lent. The something they give up is entirely up to them, but it should be something they enjoy. Examples might include social media, soda pop, ice cream, chocolate, television, etc.
On the other hand, some people add a spiritual practice during Lent to deepen their prayer life and their lived understanding of the gospel. Examples might include praying the daily Scriptures, participating in the Stations of the Cross, praying a daily rosary, etc.
Choosing a Lenten practice should ultimately be about acknowledging our complete dependence on God, and our desire to grow in holiness – in loving God, and loving our neighbor as ourselves, just as Jesus instructs us.
As a cradle Catholic, I have been observing Lent to one degree or another my entire life.
Early in my journey, I was often anxiously concerned about following all the rules, and not making the mistake of breaking the church-prescribed fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, lest I die in the state of mortal sin and spend eternity in hell – as had been implied to me.
It is challenging to have a spiritually-rich Lent when you are most concerned God is going to catch you doing something wrong. After all, God himself just told us in the above reading that “he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.”
Fortunately, I now know Lent not as something to struggle through, but is a graced opportunity to turn down the noise of my world and spend quality time with God. And in that quieter space, to recognize behaviors and attitudes that need improvement and ask God for the grace to do better, to be better.
Pope Leo, his fingers on the pulse of the world at the moment, recently encouraged the faithful to fast from “a very practical and unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor.”
I cannot think of a more appropriate fast this Lent for believers and non-believers alike.
“Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgment, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves,” Pope Leo wrote. “Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities.
“In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”
In this time of unpredictable chaos, it is empowering to think we each can play a role in restoring peace to our troubled world.
Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with the words we write and speak.
SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.