…’Tis the best of times, and
the worst of times…
The glow of the Christmas season is celebrated one more time
on Candlemas Day…a short taste of Ordinary Time, and before we know it, we are
summoned into the Lenten desert.
Lent means springtime.
As the people who are God’s own, this season of the soul invites us to till the
soil of our personal soul-garden, so that the wonder of what has been planted
in us in baptism can grow.
I’m going to suggest this “tilling” is like a spring tune-up
of our consciousness. There are four
steps.
·
First, notice things. Be very present to what is
going on with you at this moment. Be attentive to people, and to situations.
This is a real discipline!
·
Second, question everything…with compassion.
That means your doctor, your mayor, and yes, your politicians and your
newscasts. Find out if they are a good reliable source of truth.
·
Third, be slow to make a judgment, when you have
a hunch you may not have all the facts. Hold off. That too is a discipline.
·
And Finally, make choices and go into action
only when you are convinced it is the most loving
thing to do.
Your Lenten prayer, fasting, and generosity
can be first on the list for this “tilling” of your personal garden. Your
nightly question? “How does your garden grow?”
*****
Jesus, gentle Gardener, hand me the tools to clear my soul
of whatever gets in the way of the new life you want to bring forth in me.
Teach me to gather the rubbish and trash, and recycle it into whatever
fertilizer I need. Plant in me the order and discipline that makes tilling the
soil of my busy consciousness a joy. Help me to foster the gifts you have
given, and warm them with your own Sonshine. Water me with the life-giving flow
of your Spirit, refreshing in me what I’ve overlooked or forgotten. Draw me
close to yourself in your prayer and fasting that I might know you as always
present in my life. I ask this for the sake of your holy Name, Jesus, and that
might be a Word of life wherever I walk. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment