How to Keep a Holy Lent

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination, by prayer, fasting, and self- denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 265).

These words from the Ash Wednesday liturgy echo the ancient view that Lent is a special season – a holy season – which can be a great gift to those who observe this time of the Church Year. Like most things in life, this will not happen automatically. For Lent to be a holy season, we are required to make some choices about how we will live during these 40 days so that we might have an enhanced experience of our Lord’s presence in our lives. The spiritual practices mentioned above may sound like the description of the life and discipline of a monk or nun. And yet they are practical things that everyone one of us can do, without causing ourselves great discomfort or inconvenience. Let’s look at how this can be so.

1. Self-examination: Ask yourself this question: Do I live in the way that God through our Savior Jesus calls me to live? Do I use my time, my energy, my talents, my money, in ways that are consistent with the call of the Gospel? Only you can answer these questions. And remember self-examination is a prerequisite for the confession of our sins. 
2. Prayer: “Prayer is responding to God by thought and by deeds, with or without words.” (BCP p. 856). Most of our lives are spent responding to the world around us. God is not absent from that world. In fact, when we respond to the world, we are often responding to God’s presence within it. Yet most often our focus is on how that world can please us or be used for our own purpose. Responding to God is most likely to happen when we consciously  choose to respond to God in our thoughts and actions, whether we use words or not
3. Fasting: For many of us this is our greatest Lenten   challenge! However, it doesn’t have to be difficult. One simply technique is to make a choice about food. Simply choose one thing less! Once we discover that we can get by without this or that food (or beverage), we will be in a position to discover how fulfilling it can be. We have the freedom to make such choices and to discover the joy of doing with less, or without. 
4. Self-denial: Self-denial works on the same principle as fasting but applied to other areas of our lives besides food and drink. There are endless possibilities we have of dis- covering how we can get by with less in our lives. Think: “Simplify!” … at least for Lent.
5. Reading & Meditating on God’s holy Word: Choose to read at least one short passage every day. For help deciding what to read go to page 952 in the Book of Common Prayer.Also, from the Prayer Book, try daily Morning and/or Evening Prayer, or some of the brief Daily Devotions on pages 136-140. Lent can become a holy season for each of us. Regular weekly worship at church and other opportunities for spiritual growth will be of great value … but a conscious decision is required on your part. Give it a try.   Fr. Mary+