Life Lent

"Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me." ~Psalm 51

I took this photo on a bright sunny day in Old Montreal one summer, captivated by the way the light and shadow fell upon these stone hearts. Are we all not hearts of both shadow and light? Lent reminds us of this fact.

Lent is an opportunity for the priest to not only mark our foreheads with ashes and the sign of the cross, but also for Christ to reach in and mark our hearts. It is a time of repositioning for those who have "missed the mark" and to actively choose to return to a path of holiness. Now is the time to ask challenging questions. Who has my heart? What has my heart? Can I embrace both my shadow and light and still comprehend that I am a child of the Beloved? How shall I pray more? From what shall I fast? What shall I give? Lent is so much more than giving up something. It is giving in to what you were created for and returning to the mark. Lent is a time to stand eyes wide open in the desert and search for the gifts that will be given, the grace that will be bestowed upon the one who is fearless enough to be there faithfully and prayerfully.

Lent is a call to transformation of self and community. This journey is not meant to be a solo adventure. These forty days are meant to not only change our own hearts, but those around us. Whatever we choose to give up or add on this Lent, it should be for the greater good.

Where does one even begin to consider how better to pray, what to abstain from, and what to bless? Search your heart, that place of shadow and light and the answers should appear. What tempts you most? What do you hesitate to say no to? What cries yes for all the wrong reasons? What is it in your life that holds you in bondage? How do you want to step towards freedom? Who needs the gifts that you have been withholding? How much time do you return to God and what does that look like?

Lent should be life-giving, leading to renewal at Easter in the context of the resurrection. This is not a race to renewed holiness that one passes or fails. It is an opportunity to grow deeper in grace, accept our darkness with our light in profound ways, and have our hearts renewed. Lent is about recognizing that our lives are lent to us. They are not our own. We come from ashes and will return to ashes. We are called in these forty days to keep our eyes on the Great Giver and to fall more deeply in love with this Holy One. Choose wisely how you will spend your Lent.

Peace,

Suzanne