Lent has a way of putting us into closer touch with the important spiritual things in our lives, including our loving relationship with the Lord our God. In fact, we come to realize more and more that that relationship isn’t just one of the important spiritual things in our lives – it is one of the more important things, perhaps the most important thing!
Clearly, we are working this Lent to set aside selfishness and false ambition, especially in our prayer. Our loving relationship with God, after all, demands raw honesty. In this light, Lent helps us to begin all over again to “dream” our best and truest ideals, which have been planted in us by God. This can renew our conviction that God’s mysterious providence, His care for us, is in effective control of our lives.
Is Lent “working” this year? It is, if it is offering us serenity – even in the face of problems and disappointments. It is “working,” if we can see that God directs everything towards some good. It is, if we are coming to see the marvelous effect of God’s grace working within us, providing a truly rich harvest of peace.
