Of course you have to watch out for Benedict, he can
be tricky. While his chapter on Lent has
plenty of expected asceticism, with fasting, prayer and giving up, there is
also a surprise. The surprise is what
underlies the reason for these Lenten practices. Why does Benedict have his monk take on extra
disciplines?
The answer is that Lent is about joy. No, really, Benedict does have both oars in
the water. Just think about it. Lent is a preparation for Easter, the event
that is the summit and ultimate meaning of our faith, that Christ has conquered
death and led us into new life. Now that is something to be rejoice in.
So perhaps Lent isn’t about wallowing in our sins,
especially since most of us don’t need a lot of encouragement to think badly
about ourselves, nor is it about feeling virtuous because we managed to give up
Facebook for 40 days (or at least a couple of days). Perhaps the meaning of Lent comes from what
Benedict talks about when he tells his monks “… to wash away in this holy
season the negligences of other times.”
The “negligences” that most of us are prone to aren’t
necessarily the fact that we drink coffee, eat chocolate, forget to prayer
regularly, or the other traditional areas we focus on, perhaps we are negligent
in our lack of joy. Do we feel a
deep-seated, profound joy at the coming of Easter? During this Lent we can work on what keeps us
from focusing on the most important aspects of our faith life. What keeps us from joy, from love, from
wonder, from passion?
The practices of Lent are designed to re-kindle the
earth shattering reality of our faith.
We are invited to re-experience the transformative power of God’s love
for us. We are challenged to be shaken
to our depths that we are people who stand at the empty tomb and whose lives
will never be the same.
As Benedictine monastics what practices will help us
shake off our negligences and re-awaken our joy this season?
