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Lenten Lines |
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A wise friend once said to me, "You never have to go to Lent, Lent always comes to you." In other words, if we live in even a minimally conscious way, we cannot help but see that life brings to most of us all kinds of opportunities for self-denial. In our society, the challenge of raising children is perhaps the ascetic opportunity "par excellence." Child rearing is almost always an invitation to self-denial. Who is not familiar with the rigors of carpooling to school, games, lessons and science fairs? A full night's sleep, time to oneself, the freedom to come and go as one pleases, all this must be given up and given up in a way that is quite different from the monk who chooses to rise once or twice during the night to recite his prayers. Huge chunks of time are laid down at the behest of infants and children. What a shame if we miss these and similar everyday opportunities to practice a loving asceticism. A new model of asceticism for the Christian Community, in addition to the emaciated, celibate monk, may just be the struggle of the loving selfless parent, a model we can appreciate whether we are parents or not. Elizabeth Dreyer
Pope John Paul II in a Lenten talk said, "We are asked to remove ourselves, in so far as possible, from the often frantic rhythm of modern existence, to review our whole life in the light of the Word of God." Indeed, we live frantic existences. But it's not wrong to rest, to find a bench or chair and rest. Edward Hays
How much thou hast loved us, O Good Father, Who hast spared not even Thine own son, but delivered Him up for us wicked men! Rightly is my hope strong in Him, who sits at Thy right hand and intercedes for us, otherwise I should despair. For many and great are my infirmities, many and great. But Thy medicine is of more power. The Confessions of Saint Augustine
A monk was once asked, "What do you do there in the monastery?" He replied, "We fall and get up, fall and get up, fall and get up again." Tito Colliander
The further the soul advances, the greater are the adversaries against which it must contend. Blessed are you if the struggle grows fierce against you at the time of prayer. Evagrius of Pontus
Pray simply. Do not expect to find in your heart any remarkable gift of prayer. Consider yourself unworthy of it. Then you will find peace. Use the empty, cold dryness of your prayer as food for your humility. Saint Makaril of Optino
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