Celebrating family life | Seasonal Reflections
Years ago, it fell to me to clean out our family home. Anyone who has performed this chore knows that it can be a painstaking task. It took longer than anticipated, actually, longer than I wanted it to take.
It involved going through so many things that had memory and value. Everything was evaluated and then either kept, repurposed, offered to relatives, or simply discarded. At times patience wore thin. I had a helper to keep me focused. There were treasures and trivia. Each item had a story. Photos, furnishings, household and kitchen items all had to be handled. As the house contents decreased, the memories and stories increased.
The experience took more energy, focus, self-discipline, and patience than I was initially willing to give. Impatience is a humbling experience in retrospect.
I was resisting. I wanted to find a generous spirit within myself to bring to the work; perhaps my desire was an unspoken prayer. Slowly, I settled into reality and began to think of the work as a kind of service. The process became an exploration and discovery that, in time, unexpectedly, left my helper and me with a sense of freedom.
Maybe sorting through material things and keeping what we value can teach us something about engaging Lent.
We can pray for a generous spirit and a patient attitude to help us explore, discover, and become increasingly free to let faith in God’s boundless love transform our lives.
“At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.” (Mark 1:12-13).
Every year we get the opportunity to sort through Lent’s forty days. This year, it may seem to be even more like a desert. We are not alone. God’s Spirit is the driving force that guides us through; He is our helper to keep us focused. Hope endures.
The Lord has already redeemed us; He is always with us. The challenge is to live in this faith. I think Lent is a good time to be patient with ourselves, to remember God’s infinite, redemptive love.
“Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.” (Roman Missal)
In this time of Lent, how can your family prayer patiently embrace God’s redemptive love?