Alone with God in Lent

by Michael Shackleton · March 6, 2013

There is no substitute for confessing one’s sins, being absolved and hearing the advice of the minister anointed to act in Christ’s name to bring reconciliation and peace.(CNS photo/Vasily Fedosenko, Reuters)

BY MICHAEL SHACKLETON – Looking around us during the holy season of Lent, we are not surprised to see little or no evidence of people eating less or avoiding chocolates and drinks in order to practise some sort of personal self-denial for the benefit of their immortal souls.

This could be because our communities in cities, suburbs and country districts tend to be less outwardly obvious in the practice of fasting and abstinence than in days past when meat-free dishes were the common food for Lent and people spoke openly about doing without sugar or tobacco or some other pleasure.

On the other hand, the reason for the common public neglect or ignorance of Lent could be that Catholics have, to an alarming degree, lost their appreciation of just what self-denial means in their spiritual lives.

The traditional, rather harsher, Lenten observances prescribed by the Church have gone by the board, apart from the few easy rules about fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Modern-day Catholics are urged to take responsibility themselves to do some additional penance for Lent in preparing their souls for the liturgical celebrations of the Resurrection.

A good way to keep the traditional sense of sorrow for sin and a desire to make reparation, not only for our own sins but also for the sins of others, is to appreciate the meaning of Jesus’ 40 days and nights in the wilderness. He was hungry and lonely, enduring a great deal of discomfort. There was no one there to console him. He was alone before God his Father.

This experience was the preparation for his mission, his calling by God to bring the Good News to the world. But it was not the Good News of worldly delight and satisfaction. It was the news of a real conversion to a commitment to living with the knowledge that our true home is not here but in a new life with God forever.

In accepting our hope in this new life we accept that the present world is passing away and we must deny ourselves any excessive dependence on its material benefits.

Lent implies a spiritual sojourn in the wilderness where, like Christ, we stand alone before God and our conscience. We turn away from the world and concentrate our minds and efforts on cleansing our hearts and souls of the clutter of sin, selfishness and despair.

Approaching Christ in the sacrament of reconciliation is a great start, and in this week’s issue we are providing the tools for making a good confession.

Unburdening oneself to a priest brings with it God’s loving embrace, similar to that with which the father hugged his wayward boy in the parable of the Prodigal Son. There is no substitute for confessing one’s sins, being absolved and hearing the advice of the minister anointed to act in Christ’s name to bring reconciliation and peace.

A decision to do something extra for Lent for our own good and the good of others must be firm once it is taken. This is because we cannot do without self-denial, penance and a confident trust in God’s forgiveness and blessing.

Right now even seems a most appropriate time to beg God’s mercy on those in our country who are openly and criminally malicious.

We can pray more, do corporal and spiritual works of mercy, attend Mass or Lenten devotions, give alms to the needy.

Whatever is done, it must not lose its traditional purpose: to do penance for our sins, to build up our faith, hope and love, and make us capable of celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord with the gift of penetrating peace in our hearts, which is the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding.