Sunday, March 9, 2014

Have a Happy Lent


Join in on the 2nd Annual Keep Love in Lent Link-up!
Add your inspiring LENT post at one of the following Catholic Blogs:

Catholic Bloggers Network

and discover NEW WAYS to Keep LOVE in LENT!

Happy Lent!

How many times have you heard that greeting? Admittedly, it felt a little awkward for me to type it. However, to think of Lent as a dismal season is to forget that through this season we are preparing to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, that is the mystery that our Lord's passion, death and Resurrection are a single event! We cannot have the Resurrection without the passion and death; the passion and death are meaningless without the Resurrection.

Upon further reflection of this mystery, we can also find meaning in our own suffering, for God makes all things new. He can and will transform something horrible into something better than we can ever fathom! Positive psychologists refer to this reality as posttraumatic growth. This exciting new adventure in science only confirms what believers have known for centuries: that there is a silver lining, there is hope, there is perfect joy. Our journey in Lent is our journey toward this perfect joy.

From the Vatican II Document, Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), we learn that "[the] season of Lent has a twofold character: primarily by recalling or preparing for baptism and by penance, it disposes the faithful, who more diligently hear the word of God and devote themselves to prayer, to celebrate the paschal mystery"  (paragraph 109). We can joyfully recall that through our Baptism we are sons and daughters of God. We are are important to our Father, and we are brothers and sisters to each other.

Knowing this, knowing that we are God's children and family with each other, can be a scary invitation. It changes everything, and leads us to want to change our very selves. Yet do we really change our selves, or do we become more authentically who we really are?

Since we are made with dignity, we are called to lives of dignity. Enter penance. When we think of the word penance, we might think of fasting and abstinence. However, Father Raffaele Pazzelli, TOR writes that these practices are "not the principal meaning of the word penance in the biblical context or meaning. It is only as secondary or derived meaning. The first meaning of penance in the biblical sense is the conversion of the heart, return to God, change of outlook, that is, a resolution for the future to follow the will of God...metanoia, penance and conversion in this context have the same meaning and are interchangeable." (The Spirituality of the Third Order Regular).

This is largely why so many of us have been encouraged to move away from giving up things like chocolate (who wants to do that anyway?) and toward things that truly lead us on the path to sainthood.

Again, I say it, "Happy Lent!"

Holiness is synonymous with happiness. So during Lent, if our focus is on becoming holier we will, as a fruit of our journey, become joyful. Our penance (our conversion) leads us to a life lived for God and others, which is exceedingly more fulfilling than living for ourselves. Again, this is confirmed in Sacrosanctum Concilium: "During Lent penance should not be only internal and individual, but also external and social. The practice of penance should be fostered in ways that are possible in our own times and in different regions, and according to the circumstances of the faithful" (paragraph 110)

Everyone's circumstances are different, and only you know how to spend your Lent in order to increase in holiness. No matter what though, if we resolve to "Keep Love in Lent," we will stay on the right path. God is love so the way to God is through love.

As a local community, we are taking the "external and social" aspect of penance to heart in order to increase our love and bond with each other. We are blessed to have a loving, supportive local community but we are always called to a deeper level of penance. As a result, we have added a weekly "game night" to our time together as community. I believe that we decided to play "Hand and Foot" tomorrow night.

So how are you going to Keep Love in Lent? Will you begin a weekly game night with your family? Will you start visiting your local nursing home? Will you help your friend repair his basement that has been flooded? Only you can know what is possible in your own time, in your own region, and in your own circumstances. By keeping love in Lent, despite what we may be going through in our personal lives, we can have a happy Lent.

13 comments:

  1. Nice post! How about "Blessings for Lent!"?. I find I can easily fall into thinking of Lent as a dismal season...and yes, our family has indeed given up chocolate (except for Sundays...little mini-Easters. =)
    I'm also enjoying the Fr Barron Lenten reflections, usually at the start of the day and I think anything that gets us praying more (like a decade of the Rosary before dinner), individually or as a family is a great idea for Lent! I'm hoping that some of our Lenten resolutions turn into habits for the whole year through!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the "Blessing for Lent" idea, Monica! I will try that! Best wishes with your chocolate endeavor. I think it helps that the whole family is in on it. :)

      Thanks for the idea for the Fr. Barron Lenten Reflections. I will look them up!

      Delete
  2. Lovely post. I think though that, rather than discourage or possibly disparage the idea of "giving up" something like chocolate or any food for that matter, we should encourage both sacrificing something we like (such as chocolate, caffeine, meat, etc) as well as adding in something, such as prayer, reading, family time, etc. In essence, I think each has its place in a "successful" Lenten journey, as they serve different purposes. The one reminds us that our bodies are not our final resting place and can, at times, be a hindrance; the other, that we need to strengthen our souls by constant prayer and learning. That's just my approach though. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I see your point, Bridget. Thanks for the insight! :)

      Delete
  3. Sister, thank you for this post and so glad I found you via the Keep Love in Lent. I will be eager to dig deeper into your blog It seems so many people are searching for discernment in their life. Thank you, Peggy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am glad you enjoyed the posting, Peggy! I hope you enjoy the rest of the blog!

      Delete
  4. Wow, this is beautiful. So many nuggets to "chew" on spiritually. My place of contemplation today thanks to you will be: "Our penance (our conversion) leads us to a life lived for God and others, which is exceedingly more fulfilling than living for ourselves." So much better when we get ourselves and our wants out of the way and focus on what the Father desires. Thanks for this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Melanie! It's definitely something I try to put into practice every day. Every day before evening prayer we do an Examen and its the perfect time for me to reflect on how I did with this. Some days I do better with it than others. May God bless you on your efforts with this!

      Delete
  5. I am so excited to have "met" you in blog land! This is the first blog I have read from a Sister and what a blessing to read your reflections here! You share so much wisdom in this post that is inspiring and that's funny you mention game nights with your community since we are trying to do more of that as a family! May you have a fruitful Lent and may God bless you on your spiritual journey!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is so nice to meet you, too, Tracy! I am glad that you found this blog! That's great that you are trying to do more family game nights. I think that they are invaluable. God bless you as well!

      Delete
  6. First things first — thank you for joining the Keep Love in Lent Link-Up! :) Second, I love your reflection on having a "happy Lent" — it made me teary-eyed actually! Time to have more family game nights, me thinks! :) God bless you and your family!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello Sr. Monica,

    I am currently an aspirant with another Franciscan community in Western Oregon. I try my best to keep love in Lent while discerning this vocation and working. I was able to fix a couple of rosaries for a customer at a gift shop last week.To keep the love in Lent: I think I need to be easier on myself and take care of myself first before taking care of others. I keep forgetting that Lent brings us closer to Easter. This year is my 10th anniversary of being Catholic. I ask for your prayers. God bless you and may He give you His peace.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Eileen!

      Congratulations on your 10th anniversary of being Catholic and blessings on your discernment! I am so glad you found this blog, and you are definitely in my prayers. Good work with the rosaries! They can be tricky!

      Yes, it's always important to take care of oneself before taking care of others. I believe this goes hand-in-hand with being easier on oneself. When I notice that I am being too hard on myself, I make sure to do one self-nurturing activity each day, even I only a few minutes. There are plenty of lists of these kinds of activities on the internet to pick and choose from. Here's one: http://www.joanmazza.com/101.htm
      In prayer,
      Sister Monica

      Delete