Sacristy chapel, just after conventual Mass

As we are all too acutely aware there is much division in our country, liberals vs conservatives, gun control vs no gun control, maskers vs anti-maskers, vaxers vs anti-vaxers… the list goes on and on. There are even two competing weather groundhogs. We should all know by now that Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog did see his shadow on February 2nd, which meant there would be six more weeks of winter. He was right, even though he’s right only 40% of the time. However, the southern groundhog from Lilburn, Georgia, named General Beauregard Lee, did not see his shadow, predicting an early spring. But as we know, there were a few severe winter storms that affected the south. It’s not really surprising that groundhogs are not good weather forecasters, especially since evolution will take a while to catch up with global warming. Although we’ve had a couple of false starts here, one way or the other, one time or another, here in the north Spring is coming. And Ash Wednesday is a clear sign. The beginning of Lent. Our brief sojourn through Ordinary Time has come to a stop for a long reality check. The word Lent means spring in Old English and West Germanic.   

Since human beings are not good at everything, it’s not really surprising that in regard to Lent we are faced with some confused thinking. Saint Benedict says that Lent should be the happiest time of year for a Monk. That’s all well and good, you might say, because Monks are rather odd people. A season when you are supposed to give up good and pleasant things, fast a few times from your regular eating habits, give up meat on Fridays, none of that seems productive of happiness, in fact just the opposite. That being so, perhaps there is something wrong in our approach to Lent. After all, Muslims observe a much more rigorous fast for a whole month: no food, no water, and no tobacco, from before dawn until after sunset, and spend 1/3 of the night in prayer, fasting also from sleep. And Muslims look forward to this; it is truly a time of joy for them. After I had taken one of my classes to visit a mosque, a small group of high-achievers set out to fast just like that during Lent. I think they made it for ten days and they didn’t enjoy it a bit. 

 

 

Lenten stoles

Competitive penance and fasting is certainly not what God wants from us. Jesus tells us: Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps (Luke 9:23). This is not easy, deny one's self. We live in a self-indulgent culture that is killing us physically and spiritually. Self-denial paradoxically can give control back to us and take it away from our appetites and the marketers. We fast out of love for Christ, because we can only be united to Him by His grace, which manifests itself in well-ordered human love for our neighbors, like in feeding the hungry with the money we save on food. If we put the money we save in our bank account, we are fooling ourselves and we have our reward in the interest we get.

We can be happy in our penances, and we should be. And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matt. 6:16–18). In other words, smile, don’t worry and be happy. Lent teaches us that we are not the center of our own little universes. And that liberation is joyful. 

 

 

Seasonal binder prepared for Lent

Love is not self-interested, but interested in God and neighbor. Our Lenten penances should make us more aware and sensitive to the needs of others; our little hunger should make us aware of what the truly hungry and malnourished feel all the time. Our forbearance of spending our money for entertainment or luxuries should hurt a bit, so we know what the poor feel like all the time. We also do fast and penance as a reparation for sin, but it would be a shame if that effort and sacrifice only benefited ourselves and not others. We must avoid spiritual selfishness as well as the material kind. To put things in perspective, we need only look at the news and see the suffering of the people in Ukraine, an enforced deprivation of necessities, never mind luxuries, of food, shelter, sleep and security. We can offer God our penances and the fruit of our ascetic exercises, as well as our prayers, for their safety and security. Well undertaken, Lent is meant to restore peace to our souls; may it work to restore peace in Ukraine and end division in Europe. That indeed would be a happy outcome. So: Happy Lent! Really enjoy it this year.