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The Bishop's Perspective: A Lenten Season Built on STRONG PILLARS
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While it may seem contradictory to write about spring in the midst of battling the frigid Michigan winter, the season of Lent is our own “Spiritual Springtime.” The word “Lent” is derived from an Old English word (lencten) that means “spring.” Just as the natural world begins its own renewal, likewise Lent is a time when we are called to a season of spiritual renewal — for a conversion of heart. One way we are accustomed to observing this penitential season in an intentional way is through the three spiritual pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving/works of mercy.
As a complement to those three traditional spiritual practices, you might consider deepening your faith this Lenten season by: 1. Coming to know Jesus at a personal level, 2. Growing daily as a disciple, and 3. Giving witness to your love for Jesus.
KNOWING JESUS AS A PERSON: This past January I participated in the eight-day retreat for all the bishops in the United States. Our retreat director was Father Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M, Cap., the Preacher of the Papal Household. In one of his most impressive presentations, Father reflected on whether we come to know Jesus as a “person” or as a “personality.” If we know him as a “person” then he is someone in our life we can speak with, share our sorrows and our joys with; someone who knows us, loves us and challenges us to be our best. If, however, we know Jesus as a “personality,” then he remains someone we know of but admire from a distance, similar to how we experience some of our favorite sports heroes, Hollywood personalities, or historical figures. How do you know Jesus? Is he a “person” in your life, or a “personality”? For us to know Jesus as a person, and to allow him to know us, we have to spend time with him in prayer, which is the first spiritual pillar of our Lenten Season. We must allow Jesus to know our hopes, our fears, our aspirations, our worries; we need to have confidence in his unconditional love for us so that we can admit our sins and then ask him for the grace to help us overcome them.
GROWING AS A DISCIPLE: Each of us, by virtue of our baptism, is called to holiness. The essential way to do so is a daily commitment to grow as a disciple of Jesus. We only need to look at the first 12 disciples for some suggestions. They spent time with Jesus. If we look closely at the four Gospels, we will find that Jesus spent at least one-third of His time with the apostles, teaching and preparing them for the “great Mission” entrusted to them. The root of the word “disciple” is from the Latin for “learner/student.” When Jesus says “Follow Me” it means for us to model our lives on his. And the only way we can follow Jesus is to root out of our lives anything that takes us on a detour. While Lent calls us to “fast” from some foods as a sacrifice for our bodies, “fasting,” the second pillar of our Lenten Season, should also focus on giving up anything that keeps us from growing in holiness as Jesus’ disciple. We can dig deeper into our faith through participation in a Lenten program or study, or on our own through an online course (such as the diocese’s Institute of Missionary Discipleship, imdisciple.com). Whatever you choose, a daily commitment to a life modeled on Jesus is the goal.
GIVING WITNESS: Jesus taught that our greatest responsibility as his followers is summarized by “two great commandments:” to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength; and to love our neighbor. That leads us to the third spiritual pillar of the Lenten Season: almsgiving/works of mercy. We need to become familiar with our Catholic Social Teaching, which is the practical application of all the ways that we, as Jesus’ followers, live out our faith. We are to reach out to the poor; we are to help bring healing to those who are sick, suffering, or isolated; we are to stand up for the rights of the unjustly treated, and to speak out for those who have no voice. The Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy are the perfect way for us to make our Lenten season a time of genuine growth in holiness while, at the same time, sharing the Light and love of Christ with those most in need.
Each of us, as a baptized member of the Church and a vibrant part of the Body of Christ, shares in the mission that Jesus gave to the apostles on the day of the Ascension: Go, teach, baptize and know that I am with you always, until the end of time.
Having a real and intimate relationship with Jesus, becoming a disciple of Jesus, and giving witness to Jesus are all essential parts of who we are called to be, and what we are to do in response to Jesus’ invitation: Come, follow Me.
When we make use of these spiritual pillars of prayer, fasting and works of mercy, we will become a stronger, and more joyful, follower of Jesus as we take up our cross each day and follow him.
