“Unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me?” R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice. - (Psalm 81)
When it comes to Lenten sacrifices, I’ve found strength in the solidarity of the season when I try to do something daily to remind myself that yes, we are indeed in a sacred season. No matter what my chosen Lent sacrifice is for that year, there’s a certain peace I get from knowing that everyone is trying to better themselves at the same time. It’s like a Catholic New Year’s Resolution, but one that ideally we should carry with us throughout the Liturgical (and calendar) year. But that’s what I find most interesting about Lenten and New Year’s Resolutions – there seems to be a time and a place where they are contained and limited.
What I think is an even greater sacrifice is taking that improvement or challenge for ourselves out into the rest of the year, into a time where God may seem a little more “unseen” or not as much on our immediate radar. But God is constantly trying to communicate with us, and our effort to continue to create that sacred space in our daily lives beyond the season of Lent can allow us to be more open to that communication. We don’t try to better ourselves during Lent simply to let all that hard work go away on Easter Sunday, we try to better ourselves because we want a better relationship with God or want a change in ourselves that will make us better people. That shouldn’t just be something we strive for once a year.
How can I continue to keep the sacred space of the Lenten season in my life throughout the rest of the year? How is God trying to communicate with me in my daily life?
reflected by Katie Kaniewski
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