
winterfell by mark hollis
It is still winter. It is also still Lent – only the first week of Lent! Ever wonder why we do this over and over? Each year the Church (the liturgical variety churches including the Catholic) do various seasons – such as Lent. How many years have I “done” Lent…..Well, I am not telling! Maybe it’s a repeat because I, and others, are slow learners. That is true enough. Maybe some of it is that we are “don’t wanna” learners. You know, (if you are super honest) don’t you hate “Confession”?? Well, don’t tell me.
There may be some other truths involved here on this repeat of Lent subject – and the whole liturgical year done over and over. It seems to be worth it all because, personally, I am not in the same place I was last year, or the year before. During the Lent when I was 10 years old – I was in a very different place than I am now at – well, you get it. Because we change with the passing years, we can see it all in a different way. Each passing season of the Church year, there are different riches that I can harvest out of the season. You could say much the same thing for the passing seasons in the realm of nature.
On a deeper level, Pope (now Emeritus) Benedict XVI once wrote that the purpose of Lent is “…to keep alive in our consciousness and our life the fact that being a Christian can only take the form of becoming a Christian ever anew….” It is a process requiring constant practice. He is a wise and holy man! (quoted in “BENEDICTUS : Day by Day with Pope Benedict XVI”, by Magnificat/Ignatius Press)

snow road (ours) by mark hollis