by Jude Winkler, OFM Conv.

 

Ashes are a symbol of Lent, The forty days of penance during which we prepare for Easter. AS the ashes are places on our heads we hear either “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return” or Turn away from sin and believe in the Good News.”

 

I never understood the full significance of the symbol until I visited a friend in the Willamette valley in Oregon. I noticed that many of the fields were on fire and I asked m friend what was happening. I thought that it might be a brush fire. He told me that it was a common practice in that part of the country to burn the fields after the harvest.

 

He spoke of three reasons why this was essential. First of all, fire purified the fields by killing the diseases and pests that season. A second reason was that burning the rubble opened up space for new crops. Finally, burning the remains of the previous cop meant that the carbon in the rubble could serve as fertilizer for the coming crop.

 

As I thought about what he had said, I realized that his description of the reasons for burning the fields was a close parallel to the conversion process of Lent. We spend Lent getting rid of the pests and disease (sin and bad habits). We make room during Lent for further spiritual growth (for it is a time of silences and meditation). Finally, we seek fertilizer to nourish crops for the future (spiritual reading, good deeds, etc.)

 

 

In theory we should not need a special season to turn away from sin, but we are creatures of habit. It is very easy for us to slip into patterns of behavior that are not totally Christian. Lent gives us a chance to take stock of where we are and to turn away from our sin and selfishness.

 

The first things that is necessary is to be absolutely, brutally honest with ourselves. We often rationalize what we are doing, telling ourselves that it is the best we can do or that what we are doing is really not all that bad. We argue that this is the way we are and that we are probably not going to change all that much. Lent reminds us that this does not have to be true. We can change, we can make things better, but it is essential that we do not become discouraged.

 

A friend of mine was addicted to smoking and it was hurting his health. He tried to stop four times and yet each time he failed. Discourages, he spoke to his doctor who told him that the most important thing was not to give up trying. When the time was right, his effort would meet with success. Lent is a season for trying. Every Sunday in Lent can be a new beginning. Every day can be a new starting point.

 

It is also a time to examine ourselves for sins of omission (failing to do the good that we could have done). Furthermore, it is a time when we can turn away from bad habits that might not be precisely sinful but which are not totally Christian.

 

AS has already been said, we are creatures of habit. We sit in the same part of the Church, eat the same thing on the same day for weeks on end, watch the same TV program, etc. Some of these things can get in the way. We might be watching too much TV, or be too quick to anger, or have become too controlling with people around us, or be eating too much or the wrong things, or not be exercising enough. Lent is a good time to examine all of these things and work on getting them back under control.

 

There are two suggestions that might help in this conversion process. First of all, we must make Christ a part of it. We can not hope to transform our lives with our own will power. We must seek the Lord’s strength. This will ensure that our efforts are not simply an exercise of what we can do on our own. Our conversion will draw us closer to Jesus, the one who makes all the difference in our lives.

 

We could also choose to give up some of these faults as a sacrifice for someone we love. Often we cannot find the will power to do something if we are doing it for ourselves. It is different when we are offering up the discomfort of turning away from our bad habits for someone who needs our love and prayers. If we place a face on what we are doing, it becomes easier and more meaningful.

 

 

Lent is also a time for making room for the next crop. During this season, we are invited to make room for the Lord. We live very busy lives. We are constantly surrounded by noise and activity. Lent is a season to turn off radios and TV sets. It is a time to sit and reflect. We can meditate on the lord’s call in our lives. The Scripture readings used throughout Lent are filled with insights into that call. We can spend time in Eucharistic Adoration. We can attend the Stations of the Cross. We can take long walks. We can go away for a day or weekend retreat. We might attend a parish mission if there is one in our parish or one within traveling distance. We can recommit ourselves to making Sunday the Lord’s Day.

 

Lent is also a time for fasting. We fast to put food in perspective (for wee too often misuse this gift from God). When we experience hunger, it reminds us that Jesus is the only one who will satisfy our deepest hunger and thirst. We also fast to be one with those who do not have enough to eat (preferably using the money saved by our fasting to feed the poor).

 

Finally, one can make room for the Lord by celebrating the beauty with which the Lord has surrounded us. What that actually means depends on our temperament. For some of us it might mean taking a walk in a forest or visiting a zoo. Others might read a good book or go to a concert or see a good movie or visit an art gallery. We might read or write poetry or a journal. Again, what we do is not what is as important as the fact that we do it in order to make room for the Lord. We each meet the Lord in our own way, but we must find the time to meet him.

 

We do these things because it is essential to break out of the old patterns. It is all too easy to go weeks and months doing the same old thing. We begin to survive from day to day as opposed to making our lives exciting and meaningful. Lent can help us to put our lives back in perspective.

 

 

Lent is also a time to do things that will be the raw material for spiritual growth. I have already mentioned some of these things. We must also dedicate ourselves to prayer. This is especially true if we have gotten a bit lazy in our prayer life. Lent gives us a chance to put our prayer life in order. Lent is a time for doing good deeds. We might volunteer at a charitable agency. We could visit relatives who might be lonely. Hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, etc., all offer opportunities for reaching out. It is also a time for making peace. We all have some difficult people in our lives.

 

This is a time to put aside our differences and to become a peacemaker.  If we cannot actually make peace with that person (for whatever reason), we could at least spend the season praying for him or her. 

 

 

One of the most important things to do at the beginning of Lent is to be specific in what one intends to do, but also be realistic in one’s commitment. There are too man New Year’s and Lenten resolutions that do not even make it to the end of the first day.

 

It is essential to be precise. It is not enough to promise to be a better person or to pray more. One must say, “I will do this or that, this man times a day or a week.” Otherwise, things can drift and one can arrive at Holy Week realizing that one has not really begun to do anything.

 

The other thing that one must do is to be realistic in what one promises to do. We often promise to do all sorts of things, only to become discouraged after a couple of days or weeks. Instead of promising to pray six hours every day, it might be more realistic to say we will pray an extra ten minutes ever day. That does not sound like all that much, but it is worthwhile if we actually keep that commitment.

 

 

If we commit ourselves to a session of conversion, there will be a price to pay.

 

 That is why the symbol of the burning fields is appropriate. We have to give up something before we can replace it with the Lord. Still, as we can see in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord is asking us why we would spend our time and effort on things that do not bring us true joy.

 

And tat is essential to remember Lent is ultimately a season of great joy. We are finding true freedom. We are doing what we always really wanted to do but did not have the courage to initiate. Lent is not a time of drudgery that we have to endure to arrive at Easter joy. It is the road to freedom and a time of peace and joy.

 

From the Companions of St. Anthon

Conventional Franciscan Friars

12300 Folly Quarter Road

Ellicott City, MD 21042-1419