The prophet Joel has spoken, the call to fast, pray and give alms has been made. And once again, our Lent plays out against the backdrop of Autumn. We open the blinds to the stillness of early morning darkness. The hydrangea blooms have moved from their vibrant summer colours to a soft amber. And some leaves are starting to fall to the ground, in a gracious way I observe. They understand what it means to surrender, I think. These external markers serving to remind us that we are moving into a different time. And I have a secret – I find that I resist surrendering to the Lent spirit. In spite of my best efforts the intentional cultivation of stillness and reflection does seem to provide fertile ground for old ghosts to encircle. Some of the past hurts rise up and it is hard to resist the temptation to polish those old wounds! Events that I think have softened over time suddenly appear again with a newly sharpened edge that can pierce any sense of being at ease with the world.
And the world sounds very noisy to me. I feel as though our leaders are speaking to each other in capital letters. The welfare of people is tossed around with a sense of disrespect for our shared human dignity. In a strangely counter-intuitive manner, the words that are spoken in search of peace seem to be made with a sense of aggression and threat. The world is providing fertile ground for seeds of renewal.
In a remarkable sign of the work of the Spirit, I think, the people of Christianity, Islam and the Baha’i faith are all observing the same period of spiritual renewal with Lent, Ramadan and the Baha’i Fast period coinciding. This is a powerful reminder of the place of religion in the world. All of us in our own ways are seeking opportunities to think deeply: about ourselves, our lives and our community. There is a generational call from the collective human spirit that calls for a time of thoughtful realignment. A time of realignment with God – a time to focus on what gives meaning. A time for generosity in how we are to be together in the community of the world. A time for prayer.
In a 2024 reflection on Lent, Joan Chittister observed that Lent
is a call to weep for what we could have been and are not. Lent is the grace to grieve for what we should have done and did not. Lent is the opportunity to change what we ought to change and have not. … Lent is a summons to live anew.
And I wonder if this is what the habit of Lent is calling forth from us.
The reading for the second Sunday of Lent is the Transfiguration – a rich reading for Lent pilgrims. It situates Jesus’ ministry in God’s plan for humanity; it highlights, in a powerful way, that Jesus is the Holy One of God; and it reminds us that great suffering is part of Jesus’ journey. It also reveals to us that there is a human temptation to stay on the mountain top – it takes courage to climb down and be part of the mess of life. Lent calls us to ponder where we are pitching our tents. In his 2025 Lenten message Pope Francis expresses it this way:
A first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life; each of us is invited to stop and ask how our lives reflect this fact. Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone? Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity?
I find the Lent psalms provide a wonderful Lent companion. Who among us has not called out in moments of anguish ‘Be with me, lord for I am in trouble’, or for mercy, or in thanks for the goodness that lines our path? The images emerging from the readings during Lent call us to a time of humble introspection. Of remembering that generations past have suffered and prayed and lived and loved. That a habit of Lent includes reaching out to others – making peace, being generous with what we have. Our introspection, perhaps, serves to open our hearts to goodness and to give more readily.
And me – well I am discovering that re-visiting old wounds from time-to-time is probably a healthy part of life. Things happen, we get hurt and we go on. This is the message we take from the gospel in its rawness, I think. There is life. There is death and there is new life. The hurts of the past will recede, their sharpness will be dulled and the Easter of life unfolds. And I can’t help but wonder whether part of the preparation for the Easter of life is coming to terms with the bumps in the road, knowing that we can come down from the mountain encircled by the love of a merciful God who has pitched a tent amongst us, the beloved of God.
So let us hold on to hope in Lent. Let us pray that a tent of kindness and mercy has been pitched amongst our leaders and will serve to open their eyes and hearts. That the power of goodness will overtake the lands. That all will be well. And in the words of James McAuley may this Lent:
Raise up contemplatives among us
Those who walk within the fire of ceaseless prayer, impetuous desire.
Set pools of silence in this thirsty land.
Happy Lent everyone!
19 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn VIC 3103
Telephone: 03 9816 9291
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Tue - Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm
Laura Facci says:
Thank you Cathy for your reflection on Lent and thank you for your honesty in sharing your ‘secret’ . I think many of us can attest to experiencing similar difficulties.