Tonight I am reflecting some more on Lent. I am copying thoughts that I find meaningful….
Lent is a season of being invited by God in a deeply personal way. “Come back to me, with all of your heart,” our Lord beckons. “We will,” we respond, but we aren’t quite ready yet, our hearts are not prepared. We want to squirm, evade, avoid. Our souls not yet perfect. We are not ready for God to love us.
Lent offers us all a very special opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and to deepen our commitment to a way of life, rooted in our baptism. In our busy world, Lent provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon our patterns, to pray more deeply, experience sorrow for what we’ve done and failed to do, and to be generous to those in need.
I like reading a purpose statement for Lent.
Lent is an invitation to GROW, REFLECT, PRAY, EXPERIENCE, SORROW, BE GENEROUS….what an invitation!
The First Four Days of Lent: These days serve as an introduction to our Lenten journey. Before we begin the first full week of Lent, we have a powerful set of readings about our Prayer, Repentance, Almsgiving and Fasting. We place ashes on our foreheads and learn about the meaning of death and life. Over two days we pray over the powerful challenge of Isaiah 58. And Jesus reminds us that he is inviting us to a “change of heart.“
I love this prayer….
“Lord, open my lips,and my mouth shall declare your praise.”
I am thankful for the honest reflection in Lent and allowing my heart to embrace the words in the prayers shared below…
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Closing Prayer:
Lord,
I know how much you love me.
It’s hard for me to feel it sometimes,
but I know your love is always with me.
Help me to use your love as a way
to persevere in my Lenten intentions.
I am weak, but I know with your help,
I can use these small sacrifices in my life to draw closer to you.
Lord,
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent
come from you, be inspired by you.
I long to be closer to you.
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life
unless it glorifies you in some way.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of my life and keep saying,
“Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer,”
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now.
Help me to rely on you for help.
The prayer asks you that I reach perfection.
Please, Lord, remind me that “perfection”
isn’t the crazy, “successful” way I try to live my life,
but a perfection of my most authentic, real self.
My “perfection” might be holding my many flaws in my open hands,
asking you to help me accept them.
Heal me, Lord, and help me to find you in the darkness of my life.
Let me reach out in this darkness and feel your hand and love there to guide me.
It is my hope that I will accept the invitation to grow, reflect, pray, experience, sorrow, and be generous during Lent….and that you will do the same!
If you are looking for a good site to follow during Lent, consider this site:http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/index.html
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