I will lead you into the wilderness and speak to your heart. 

- Hosea 2:16

 

Lent is a time set aside to rekindle the meaning of our baptism. When we were baptized, the priest or deacon prayed over us and said: “The Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name, I claim you for Jesus Christ.” Then he made the sign of the cross on our forehead... The sign that each one of us belongs to Jesus... that’s why so many of us wear a cross or a crucifix around our necks, place the crucifix on the wall of our homes and make the sign of the cross with the baptismal water when entering a Church and beginning a prayer. The answer is simple: we belong to Jesus Christ, and we are proud to profess it.  

 

As we begin the season of Lent, the Church once again will make the sign of the cross on our forehead. However, this time the cross will be made of black ash to remind us that although we truly belong to Jesus Christ and are members of the Body of Christ, the Christian community, and Temple of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us... still... all of us have lost the innocence of our Baptismal day and are in need of God’s generous mercy and forgiveness. So, the black cross we will wear on our forehead on Ash Wednesday is a reminder that we, each one of us, are willing to strive during Lent to turn away from sin as best as we can and prepare ourselves to rise to New Life with Christ on Easter. 

Beginning on Holy Saturday with the Great Easter Vigil, and throughout the Easter Season, we renew our baptismal promises (in place of the ancient Creed) during our Sunday Eucharist. Together, we belong to Christ, believe in Christ, and we strive to become more like Christ as we live as his baptismal disciples.  

Lent is not meant to be a grim time to punish ourselves from things we like to eat or do, but rather an opportunity to grow in friendship and intimacy with the person of Jesus. After all, Easter is a love story, not a horror story.  

If you had 40 days to live... what would you want to change about yourself, your behaviors and attitudes toward people in your life; and what changes might help bring you closer to Jesus whom you have pledged to imitate and follow? 

 

You might want to give up a long-held grudge, to forgive that hurt you have been nurturing, stop complaining and gossiping; give more compliments; smile and listen to others more.  

There is an interesting scene in the gospels where, after the apostles had completed the first experience of evangelism, Jesus settles them down and says, “Come away and rest a while.” He calls them into the desert to be still to get away from all the activity, noise, words, and to gather their thoughts and process their experience. 

It’s difficult to find the time and the silence in our busy lives. But if we don’t, when do we pray? We live in a world of electronic devices, constant interruptions, and too much noise. There is no spiritual life without prayer. Maybe the best Lenten practice is daily prayer: time set aside to be intimate, honest, and confident with Christ.