February 17, 2015
For the first time in many years, I will experience Lent in its fullness. Having lived in warmer climes the last 14 years, I am now residing in my native state of New York. It’s been a long time since I’ve been through winter with all its bluster and it is a shock to the system.
While winter can be magical and romantic in New York City through the Christmas season, it quickly loses its glamour in the New Year; the sparkling city turning into a slushy mess with endless travel disruptions. By Ash Wednesday, Northerners are desperate for spring, but it is still too far off. To me, nothing says Lent more than stepping into a slushy puddle on the street corner only to discover the pothole is deep, swallowing your foot. It is messy and uncomfortable. Further, knowing that out in Los Angeles teenagers are thanking God for killer waves so they can surf with the fish on a Lenten Friday afternoon can bring the most resilient to call on God for mercy!
While Lent may be easier to grasp in in these circumstances, Lent calls us to conversion and newness of life wherever we live. While I first experienced Lent in the depths of winter, as a Paulist I’ve found a variety of faithful Christians experiencing the Lenten season with great zeal in places where winter is something you watch others endure on television. What makes the difference?
Pope Francis gives us a clue in his Lenten message. In it, he lifts up for us those actions and practices that can help us deepen our relationship with God and neighbor. (For full text, click here) In short, the pope calls us to know God’s love by letting ourselves be fed by him, most especially through his Word and Sacrament, the Mass. As we become more at one with Christ and his Body, the Church, we realize we are all God’s children and we begin to overcome any indifference that can possess our hearts and numb us to the suffering of others.
Secondly, the pope calls us to go out and serve others, especially the poor and those far from experiencing God’s Love. The Church is missionary by its nature, always directed outwards, especially to those in need. Finally, the suffering of others is a call for us to seek conversion. Their need reminds us of the uncertainty of our lives and our dependence on God and one another. If he humbly implore God’s grace and accept our own limitations, Pope Francis says, we will trust in the infinite possibilities God’s love holds out for us.
Heeding the pope’s Lenten call to conversion is a more profound experience of the paschal mystery than any weather forecast can provide. May our Lenten journeys, as messy as they might be at times, lead us all to a glorious springtime for the Lord at Easter.