Feb 4, 2008
It is that time again. Ash Wednesday is in a few days and Lent has snuck up on us again. I don’t know about you, but I never really seemed to be prepared for Lent. What I am going to give up or do extra is always a game-time decision, one that is rushed and not thought through very well. Each year I try to get a little better at being prepared and planning what I feel the Lord wants my Lent to look like. It begins with a simple question that I would like to propose to you all: What is going to make Lent this year different than last year? A different perspective or outlook is always the case for me, so if you don’t mind, here is what I am thinking for Lent 2008.
As young people (or Catholics for that matter), there is always one common theme when it comes to thinking about how we need to live our lives. The one thing that is holding us back is the ever popular three letter word: SIN. Our nature doesn’t help us out and living in the culture, we find ourselves in is not beneficial in leading us to live the virtuous life. SIN is all around us and it is not surprising that we all are sinners.
Lent is often a time when we are encouraged to name and face the sin in our lives. By doing so, maybe we continue the journey of trying to become holy and perfect like our Lord. (Anybody there yet?) While it might not be a surprise, I want to go a little deeper in this conversation about Lent, SIN, and all the rest. And to your relief I am not here to preach about sin, I will keep that topic for another day.
Looking at the sin in our lives is important and very necessary. At the same time, there is another place we need to pay attention to that sin often covers up. This is a place in our hearts, a place where there is a void and a longing for something more.