The word Lent means springtime, and in the northern
hemisphere, spring is a time when earth awakens from the dormancy of winter to enter into a season of growth. Therefore, it appears that Lent is a time when we
need our own personal reveille!
According to Anu Garg at A.Word.A.Day, the word “reveille”
comes from the French réveillez (wake up!), from réveiller (to awaken),
from re- (again) + eveiller (to rouse), from Latin exvigilare (to keep watch),
from ex- (out) + vigilare (to be awake or keep watch), from vigil (awake). It
is ultimately from the Indo-European root weg- (to be strong or lively).
Indeed, Lent is a time to wake up to God’s love for us, to rouse ourselves to
perform acts of service, to keep watch in prayer, and to fast from foods that
prevent us from being strong or lively.
This morning when I walked down the hall to the bathroom,
someone’s door was open and I heard an alarm clock sounding with soft musical
peals. We all respond to different wake-up calls—some of us need a blaring
alarm to rouse us, whereas others respond to the gentle invitation of soothing
music. The nature of our own personal reveille doesn't matter—what's important is that it keeps us from
sleeping Lent away!
No comments:
Post a Comment