O Lord, protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the Lenten journey, make this season holy by our self-denial. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever. Amen. adapted from International Committee on English in the Liturgy…
Category: Christian Year – Lent
Maundy Thursday & A Ritual of Remembrance
IN THE PASSOVER MEAL we have come to call the Last Supper, Jesus chooses to share himself – his very body and blood – with his dearest friends. Christ gives not only bread and wine to his disciples present in that moment, but he also gives them a ritual of remembrance. . His intimate,…
“New Life bursting through death”: Reflections on Lent by Archbishop Rowan Williams
"It’s not about feeling gloomy for forty days; it’s not about making yourself miserable for forty days; it’s not even about giving things up for forty days. Lent is springtime. It’s preparing for that great climax of springtime which is Easter – new life bursting through death." – Rowan Williams On Ash Wednesday, I was…
The Beauty of Your Peace
Your voice has stilled the raging storms The wind and waves bow down before Your still small voice brings hope to all Who wait on You, we’ll wait for You To lead us to the place where You’ll restore our souls And all our earthly strivings come to cease Take from our souls the strain…
We Have Been Pardoned
REPENTANCE IS not so much a condition for forgiveness as a consequence of it. We human beings often hold back our forgiveness for some slight or hurt until we at least see signs of contrition. Not so with God: on the cross, the word of forgiveness is spoken first; it gives birth to one felon’s…
Richard Rohr’s Reflection on Fasting
I liked what Richard said about the three ways of “de-centralizing the self” and also the focus on inner patterns which detract us from our centering process. I will be following his weekly Lenten guide here. Fasting, along with prayer and almsgiving, are the three spiritual disciplines that are taught in all of the monotheistic…
40 Days: Walking with Jesus in Lent
THE GOAL OF LENT is not to make a plan for change and follow it to the letter. Rather, the goal is to make a change that sinks deeply into life, drawing us closer to self, others, and God. Lent is about intentionally opening ourselves, preparing to receive God’s goodness. – Sarah Parsons A Clearing…
Ash Wednesday: The Beginning of Lent
(Music by Joseph Arthur. Cartoons by Si Smith) We have so much fear in all of us. In the secret places of our hearts, Only God and we know what is going on there. Sometimes, we don’t even know ourselves But we only know fear. The fear of sin taking over our lives. The fear…