First Sunday in Lent

I have been attempting to live liturgically for almost 5 years, and while I manage to celebrate a few feast days here and there, it’s never been even close to perfect. The first Sunday in Lent seems to be a good starting point for trying again, now that I don’t have the pressure to worry about it. It’s not one of my bootcamp habits until December (which is vaguely named “Traditions”), and it’s not on my 18 for 2018. I’d like to resurrect my Making Catholic Traditions Modern blog, but as long as I write daily on this one, I’m not feeling any pressure. So why am I writing about Lent? At least for Sundays, until I get into the habit of writing more and start updating the other blog, I’m going to dedicate my Sunday post to a written meditation on the lessons of the day, from the Sunday readings, the sermon, and my spiritual reading from the book The Year Made Holy.

There were 2 different thoughts from today’s sermon and from the spiritual reading. Most people would focus on the temptation of Christ, but today’s sermon taught the value of humility, referencing St. Benedict’s Rule. Humility reminded me of the not-yet canonized saint, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, whose example gave me my first true idea of humility: knowing exactly the measure of oneself, neither underestimating nor overestimating oneself and one’s capacity for saintliness. Something worthy of contemplating over the next 6 weeks.

The second thought was from my spiritual reading, about confidence in God’s grace. Not a confidence that leads to recklessness, but a confident prayer for help, knowing that with work on our part and supplication for help, God will lead us to attain our goals of developing virtue and gaining Heaven. God will not allow our fasting, almsgiving, or prayers to go unfruitful, but as we celebrate His Son’s Resurrection, we will also celebrate new virtues and  getting closer on our path to Heaven. May we all experience a fruitful Lent, praying with confidence to God, without Whose help we are all lost.