When I speak
about Lent to the inmates at Lansing Correctional Facility, I tell them that Lent
is meant to be a time of conversion, which means turning our lives more
completely over to Christ and his way of life. I note that the Church is wise
in setting aside a special time to focus on conversion, because it is a
challenging process and, without the mutual support provided by the other
members of the body of Christ, we would just as soon remain in our comfortable
thoughts and patterns.
A couple of
years ago, I remember standing in line next to Sr. Cecilia Olson in the Mount dining
room, and she mentioned she was looking forward to Lent. “Why?” I asked. For
me, Lent had always been a period I approached reluctantly—a time of
self-discipline that I knew would be good for me but that I wasn’t going to
enjoy. She, however, viewed it more as a time to leave behind old ways of
living and embrace new life in Christ.
If, as noted
on the Mount handout on Lenten community observances, “Lent is about changing
ourselves so that we have hearts more prepared to be open to love,” that
ultimately is a cause for joy. This year, I hope that I can reform my old ways
of thinking about Lent and approach it not with grudging reluctance but as an
opportunity to grow in the capacity for love and joy.
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