I wasn't raised in this tradition, and the first time I caught a whiff of this rich observance, I was wandering through a Catholic church in a small Lithuanian town a few weeks before Easter. It was the middle of a weekday morning, so the church was empty, but its wooden doors were open to visitors. Inside, the figure of Christ on a crucifix was shrouded in purple fabric. Sadness swept over me as I stood there, trying to make out his face.
Since then each Easter has been enriched by my own Lenten journeys. Each February I pull my copy of Bread and Wine from the bookshelf and my husband and I decide what indulgence or activity to set aside. Some years it's chocolate. Other years it's coffee. I guess that tells you something about our daily habits. While making these small sacrifices always pinches a bit, the joy it also unleashes astounds me every year.
The Waiting for Water journey leads us through the wintry reflection of Lent to the bright warmth of Easter and beyond into the rest of the year. As you ponder taking this journey in 2012, what would you consider giving up so that you can draw closer to Christ and others might live better and more whole lives?
No comments:
Post a Comment