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Dear OLG Families,
There are so many things happening this time of year, between Auction and Re-enrollment, Spirit Day next Friday, and much more. Please read all the sections below tonight, as so many work tirelessly to bring all the news to you each week.
On my part tonight, I will be focusing on a Lenten reflection.
“God, may Your light guide my day,
and your spirit bring me peace. Amen.”
When I was in the classroom, I spent a great deal of time breaking Lent open for my students. What did it mean? How could we as people of faith and members of a Catholic school actively practice Lent? I would explain that in order to actually be engaged with the season of Lent, it would require determination, perseverance, resilience and prioritizing. Why? Because Lent is hard. It can be tough if you do it right. Lent can also be inconvenient, as it, in theory, should be forcing us to restructure our day to day routines, in order to grow closer to God.
So frequently, between Christmas and Ash Wednesday, our lives become consumed with the monotony of the world, the all-encompassing chores, the practices, homework, work, having to make dinner, you name it. Often, what we end up sacrificing is our faith life. Our relationship with God takes the hit. We don’t intentionally push God out, but we also don’t actively make space for Him. For many, we stop making time to pray. We become inconsistent about going to Mass. We fill up our time with other things, and between Christmas and Easter, we lose focus on what should really be at the center of our lives--- who should be at the center. Christ.
Now, does this make us bad? No, of course not. But can this lead us, as people of faith, to feel lost? Absolutely. The 40 days of Lent mimic the 40 days that Jesus wandered the desert, as He Himself prepared to die. Jesus was alone physically in this time frame, without a companion to walk beside. Though we heard earlier in the month that Jesus sent His disciples out two by two, Jesus knew that that this was a path He had to walk (physically) alone, and walk humbly.
I cannot begin to imagine what it would have been like to spend 40 days in the desert by myself. I would imagine I’d have been lonely, frightened, and desperate. I know for me personally, there is only so much self reflection I feel that I could do. I wonder, would I lose hope? OR would I instead find hope? Would I have become more prayerful? St. Therese of Lisieux once said that “Prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” While wandering the desert, would I have felt that to be true? Would I have recognized the love, or would I have only recognized the trial? Jesus recognized both. Would I have been as capable?
Jesus, though physically isolated, wasn’t alone. He was with God, His Father. He was tempted by the Devil, and had time to question His life and the path that it was set to take. He prayed. He fasted, and did it again and and again for 40 days. Jesus was determined. He persevered, and had resilience. When the going got tough, he didn't get going. He stayed in the uncomfortable inconvenience of temptation, of trial. Fast forward to the Last Supper and Good Friday, after Jesus returned from His time of intensive prayer and fasting, just to turn around and give the most intense alms of all-- Himself; the everlasting Bread of Life. Jesus leaned in on his relationship with God.
When I think about Lent, and I think about all that it represents, I find sometimes that I can be remorseful, sorry even, for not prioritizing my prayer life enough; for letting life get in the way, for note leaning in enough on my relationship with God and for not making enough space. Jesus did, can't I? I am remorseful because I realize the weight that Jesus chose to carry, and the sacrifices He made simply to wander the desert for 40 days, not even the biggest sacrifice of all, His life, for ours.
So I am left with a decision. This Lent, what do I do? Do I say-- this is tough, better not? Or I could choose to sit in this inconvenience, this uncomfortableness-- the weight of my own choices standing in the way of my relationship with God. OR, I could do something? Can I choose to not look at Lent as a challenge, but instead, as a gift? As a chance to make more space for God in my life this Lent? What would it be like if I did? I recognize my own areas to grow, and this Lent I can instead look to the heavens in trial and joy, recognize it, and give thanks. I can feel that surge in my heart this Lent, just as St. Therese did so long ago. This Lent, I choose to make the time to make the space for God, and I invite you to join me, walking with God, and with one another, these 40 days.
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