The liturgical season of Lent is meant to be a journey. Like all journeys, it has a beginning (Ash Wednesday) and an end (Holy Saturday). Along the way, there are points of rest. In the western Church, these typically occur on Sundays (days not actually counted toward the 40). This journey does not require us to pack very much, just a prayerful heart and a penitent spirit. The main thing is to be sure to pack enough prayer and penance for the entire journey, for each spiritual discipline should get used every day.
I realize that making the commitment to prayer every day may seem daunting. I can’t say that I have the best track record in this practice. Still prayer gives nourishment on this journey, allowing us to persevere through long stretches and static moments. Prayer is as simple as being fully honest with God. It is not speaking with an enlightened eloquence or succinct theological language, let alone a posture of kneeling a certain way. When we pray, we share our hearts with God. Ultimately, the purpose of Christian faith is a closer union with the Creator. Lent gives us a direct opportunity in prayer to know God more deeply.
The deepening of our relationship with God can simultaneously happen when we open our minds and spirits to being penitent. While it is true that the briefest of surveys of Christian history reveals that the word penance brings some hefty baggage (i.e. self-flagellation), the mistakes of our past should not make us so intransigent to embracing the truths of offering genuine penance. In doing so, we acknowledge that we are NOT God. Moreover, an act of penance demonstrates an awareness that we are part of a larger world that suffers when we fail to live out our baptismal covenant. Finally, showing penance points to a most fundamental truth of the human condition – we rely on each other. As we journey through Lent, disposing ourselves in humility can surely launch us into profound communion with others and/or God.
I hope that you set out on a Lenten journey this year. Invite a friend, a neighbor, or even a stranger. If you feel like you might need some guidance on this trek, Parish of the Epiphany provides multiple opportunities for you to journey in community with other members of the Parish during the Lenten Home Series or the Lenten on-line course. Regardless of how you approach the season of Lent, may you find peace and joy and renewal. May you marvel at the awesome blessing of walking this earth just like our Savior!
Paul Shoaf Kozak
Intern
