There are so many aspects to Great Lent that sometimes it may seem difficult to know exactly where to start or even what to concentrate on. However, I think the simple idea of getting back to what is important is a great start.
So...what is important to you? It is an interesting question to ask yourself. It is especially interesting if you give yourself an honest answer. If we could take a moment and step back from our every day lives and watch ourselves go through our daily routine, we might be surprised by what we see. I would hazard a guess that for most of us, the thoughts of God, prayer and spiritual life will not be things that we see. This is not an accusation, but simply a necessary thing for us to do as we begin this Lenten journey. The first step in a successful Lenten journey is being able to acknowledge our spiritual shortcomings and making the decision to overcome them.
One of the stichera from the Vespers of Forgiveness Sunday say: "Let us set out with joy upon the season of the Fast and prepare ourselves for spiritual combat. Let us purify our soul and cleanse our flesh, and as we fast from food, let us also abstain from every passion..."
What powerful words to keep in our hearts as we begin our own season of the Fast. It is with these words of encouragement that we can truly examine our lives, see where we fall short of what God hopes for us and begin to make the most of this Great Lent, purifying our soul, cleansing our flesh, and as the above stichera concludes "...be counted worthy to see the solemn Passion of Christ our God, and with great spiritual gladness to behold His holy Passover."
A blessed and beneficial Lenten season to each and every one of us.
2 comments:
Thank you for the gift of your words at the beginning of this Great Lent. Sometimes it is easier to keep our spiritual life in a "box" that we just take out on Sundays or during our daily prayers. One of my goals for this Lent is to let my spiritual life and relationship with God "out of the box"--I hope and pray that God will fill my life with peaceful joy so that His light will shine through me each and every moment. I wish you a joyful Lent, Father David, as we walk together toward Pascha.
I agree about the box. I find that it happens to me as well at times. This is what I think makes Lent so special, because we become so focused on our spiritual life, it is so much easier for us to let others see it. A joyful lent to you as well and a joyful Pashca to us all!
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