What is Lent Really About?

Within my parish many are following this season of penance, by giving up 'things'. Some have decided to go without sugar in their coffee, one lady said she would go without cream in her cup of tea and also give up eating dessert. Others said they were forgoing watching their favourite television shows 'for God.'

How does this affect God? I don't think it affects God at all. What can we give to God who is sufficient unto Himself?

Lent is about purification and a time to reflect and ask within ourselves the hard questions. Lent is also a time of inner surgery, where we find and search deep within our souls and personality to see where have we offended God. Where have we failed to do His Will? Where have we wounded Him and in so doing wounded ourselves and others?

Where have we walked away from God and what opportunities to do good did we overlook or fail to act on even though we knew it would benefit another?

Then there are the other questions we need to ask. What have we placed before God, where have we been inattentive to His Will. And most importantly how much time do we spend with God, alone.

These weeks of Lent are our time 'spent in the desert' as we seek God's guidance and weed out our weaknesses and those things which seperate us from His Divine Love.

In order for God to work fully within our souls we need Him to purify us from all that which holds us to the world. It is time to weed out selfishness, laziness, unkindness, impatience, anger, pride. This is a momentous task, for me at least especially as I fall into many of the above categories.

Once we confront these lesser qualities within ourselves and through the Sacrament of Penance only then can God fill the empty vessels of our souls with His Divine Love so that we too arise, renewed and filled with joy.

Rather than give something up, give of yourself to those in your community who are hungry, tired, lonely, sick, deprived and unloved.

What is our most precious commodity? The thing we prize most of all?

Our time.

Amen, Amen my God, breatheth in me the dew of thy Grace which bringeth me to the well spring of they Awesome Love, which overcometh my timid soul, and fills it with all good things, so that I may boast, here in lay my strength. I am nothing and God is ALL.

Written by Marie