Have you ever thought of Lent as a season of purgation? In this sense, it is a time of cleansing and ridding ourselves of all that keeps us from embracing the abundant life that God freely offers us in Jesus Christ. We could even up the ante a little by saying it is a time which calls us “from death to life,” i.e., dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ. With a couple of weeks remaining until Holy Weeks starts, what are we being called to cast off? What new life is Jesus offering us?
Let us pray. “O God, may your grace cleanse us in these days which lead us to Holy Week. Help us, especially now, to receive the good things which come from your bounty with a deep sense of gratitude – and to accept with patience any struggles that come to us. Teach us, we beg you, to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments, but above all in the ordinary events of daily life. May we abstain from what we do not really need and help our brothers and sisters in their want. May we somehow bear the wounds of your Son – for through His body He gave us life. He lives and reigns with you forever and ever. Amen.”
