Lent as a Time of Rejuvenation

 As many families are entering into the February school vacation week, I’ve been back several days now from some time off of my own. Thanks to extra coverage by Fr. Bill, other clergy and staff, I was able to take a few days of vacation leading into a retreat week for priests. It was a wonderful week-plus, especially because of the quality of the retreat director and the fraternity shared among the priests. I don’t mean to shock anyone, but priests are human too! We need not only vacation but also times of spiritual renewal to be able to continue ministering well to the people of God. Our retreat director is a diocesan priest in parish ministry like most of the participants, so he knew just the right balance of encouragement, challenge, and nurturing we needed. One of the many things I gained from the experience was a renewed conviction to work on communicating well – not only with people, but especially with God in prayer! We can’t take our relationships for granted and expect them to remain close and strong with no effort. The same is true with our relationship with God. Many priests and other busy people say, “My work is my prayer,” which is true to some extent. All Christian action can be part of our relationships with God, but Mass and good works need to be complemented with times of personal prayer to help build that relationship. Formal prayers like the Rosary or novenas, conversations with God in our own words, reflectively reading from the Gospels, and time just sitting silently with God can all be meaningful ways to grow in friendship with Christ.

It was especially great to have this retreat time just as we are beginning Lent (a name which itself means “springtime”), which calls us to be rejuvenated in our relationship with God. As I said in a column last month, the short period of Ordinary Time before Lent focused on His call for us to be disciples, companions of Jesus. To the extent we respond to that call to be His companions, our Lenten experience will be more than just doing things or fasting from things. This is an opportunity to use these time-honored practices to deepen our relationship with Christ as we journey with him to the Cross and Resurrection.

I think the over 80 people who are participating in our first run of ChristLife’s “Discovering Christ” program, the many people who have started asking about our Lenten Mission this year, and all the people who attended services this Ash Wednesday are all signs of people’s inner desire to get to know Jesus more – in one way or another.

I have been asking you to you to pray for our Lenten experience in St. Martha and St. Mary Parishes this year, and I renew that request again now. It is your prayers and mine that will help all of our Lenten initiatives be guided by the Holy Spirit to strengthen our parishes and each of our relationship with the Lord. As my retreat experience reminded me, I need to be rejuvenated by times of prayer throughout the year, and Lent is meant to be a spiritual springtime for all of us!