OK. Apparently the season of Lent is coming up. Does everyone know what the season of Lent is, or otherwise called "the Lenten season"? Well, I'm sure there are numerous people who may not know, because quite honestly I grew up Jewish, and for many many years, I didn't have the vaguest idea what Lent was.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, and I believe ends on Good Friday, or else Easter Sunday. I really do not know much about it even now, but I only know that some Christian denominations, and definitely the Catholic Church, see the weeks of Lent as a time to humble ourselves. A time to be aware of how weak we are, and how very easily the pressures of the world influence us to do things that are not in line with our view of ourselves as servants of God. And therefore, the Church calls upon us to give up something specific, to serve to remind us of our sorrow for our lack of ability to be faithful to Jesus.
I liked these words of Pope Francis about Lent so much that I copied them, and I will now paste them here:
Our beloved Pope Francis offers the following wisdom on the penitential season of Lent:
“As a way of overcoming indifference and our pretensions to self-sufficiency, I would invite everyone to live this Lent as an opportunity for engaging in what Benedict XVI called a formation of the heart (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 31). A merciful heart does not mean a weak heart. Anyone who wishes to be merciful must have a strong and steadfast heart, closed to the tempter but open to God. A heart which lets itself be pierced by the Spirit so as to bring love along the roads that lead to our brothers and sisters. And, ultimately, a poor heart, one which realizes its own poverty and gives itself freely for others”.
“As a way of overcoming indifference and our pretensions to self-sufficiency, I would invite everyone to live this Lent as an opportunity for engaging in what Benedict XVI called a formation of the heart (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 31). A merciful heart does not mean a weak heart. Anyone who wishes to be merciful must have a strong and steadfast heart, closed to the tempter but open to God. A heart which lets itself be pierced by the Spirit so as to bring love along the roads that lead to our brothers and sisters. And, ultimately, a poor heart, one which realizes its own poverty and gives itself freely for others”.
I am sharing this with you just to maybe open your eyes to some thoughts on religion and spirituality that people have established over the years. I took a little quiz they offered to help someone figure out what to give up, and I was told to serve the poor. So, many years ago, before I was here in this nursing home, I taught literacy, and that would be something I would have really liked to do. As things stand now, I would like to give some more deep thought to how I could best deepen my service to God for Lent. A good one for me might have to do with waiting a little longer before I put my buzzer on, or holding my tongue when I feel indignant.
Here is the link to the quiz to help people think about what they should give up, in case you're interested.
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