Pastoral Pearls: Lent as a New Spring
The word Lent itself… means spring… Therefore, our 40-day spiritual preparation should be a new spring, whereby we prune ourselves of the dead wood of sin and imperfections, grow in grace and strengthen our faith. ~ Fr. William P. Saunders, Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls, Virginia
I found it fascinating to be reminded (in this blog from Fr. Saunders) that Lent means spring. Spring can mean many things as well. This quote talks about springing into grace and faith. During Lent I get all kinds of good guidance on tools that can help me spring into renewed faith – abstinence (fasting) from things that take our focus off of God’s guidance; prayer as a means to shore up our communication with God, lifeline that it is; and almsgiving as a way to gain perspective through giving, not only of my treasure, but also of my time, to make life better for someone who may be left out. All of these help me to look deeper into my own life and recognize where it is aligned with God’s will and where it may be neglecting God and the needs of those around me, especially whose on the margins. Spring also can mean new life, fresh growth. Again this offers me the opportunity to reflect on how life-giving my words and actions are – for myself, but also for others – and what I am doing to grow closer to God, and to grow into the kind of person God wants me to be. It’s about looking for the signs of this spring within me. It’s about moving from dark into light, and what am I doing to prepare for more light – to be light for others?