My Sisters and Brothers,
Next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, we enter the season of Lent. On that day we will be invited to make Lent a significant time in our lives with these words: “I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word” (BCP pg. 265). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines holy as: “exalted or worth of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness,” “divine,” “devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity,” and “having a divine quality.” It is an invitation that calls us to focus on God our creator by looking at ourselves, our lives and seeing where we are not devoted entirely to God, to ask for forgiveness, to spend time, or more time talking with God (prayer, and it is not just our asking for what we want or need, but listening for God’s reply as well), fasting and self-denial, which is far more than giving up chocolate and soda, and reading scripture, God’s holy Word and meditating on what you hear there. When I was in seminary, it was said that if you were going to start some new program, do it during Lent because people would be willing to take part because it had a definite end date and they were not doing it alone, there was peer pressure to keep the commitments. As I look at what we are called to do, should they not be part of our lives all year long? Should examining our lives and how we follow Jesus and seeking forgiveness when we do not last only for forty days? Is prayer only for this season of our lives or should it not be something we do without ceasing? A grumbling stomach from time to time might help us remember all those who have not been blessed as we have with an abundance of food or turning off the television may might help us remember all that God provides for us. One of the prayers many priests silently say as they break the bread during communion is “Be present, be present Lord Jesus Christ and be known to us in the breaking of the bread.” Yes, in the Holy Eucharist we come into the presence of Jesus Christ, we come to know him, but it is through reading, learning marking, and inwardly digesting God’s holy Word we come to know him and all those from the time of creation to now can see the faith and the failings of God’s followers and God’s unending love for what was created by His Word. If these practices are not part of your everyday life, perhaps you can begin them as we prepare for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning. I invite you to join me growing closer with God, the Church invites you to meet Jesus and share his love with those you meet.
Peace
Bryant+
