A boy is marked with a cross on Ash Wednesday Feb. 14, 2018 at St. Anne Catholic School in Houston. (James Ramos | Catholic News Service)
Uniting our suffering with Christ Season of Lent calls us to ongoing conversion By Kristina Lahr
L
ent is hard. As far as liturgical seasons go, I much prefer Christmas and Easter when the waiting is over and there are cookies galore, but here we are, gazing at the crucified Lord, trying in some way to wrap our minds around that incredible sacrifice. The questions that often come up this time of year is, “what are you doing for Lent? What are you giving up?” These questions are a great place to start, but if we stop there, the Lenten sacrifice seems more like some self-improvement New Year’s resolution. However, the origin of Lent reveals something much deeper about why we do this each year. The 40 days before Easter is a time to reflect on the Lord’s passion through spiritual preparation, conversion, and penance. It’s a time to renew our baptismal call to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. 12
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“Jesus set the example for our Lenten observances,” said Father Matthew Kraemer, director of liturgy for the Diocese of Fargo. “Before taking up his public ministry, he prayed and fasted in the wilderness for 40 days. He even took upon himself the same temptations we undergo: from the devil, the flesh, and the world. The culmination of Jesus’ public life was his paschal mystery: his passion, death, and resurrection. Since the time of the Apostles, Christians have prepared themselves for the Easter feasts by imitating the Lord’s fast.” Jesus knew that his public ministry and everything he was to endure required preparation. During Lent, we imitate his preparation with our own prayer and fasting, recognizing that Jesus is always preparing us to encounter him more deeply. Ask him what penance would be best for you to take this Lent and have the courage to say yes, even if that penance seems to hold
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