Keeping a Holy Lent - 4

Well, Ash Wednesday is behind us and the First Sunday of Lent is upon us.

How's Lent been for us so far?

Are you among those who have been faithful now for nearly four days to those exercises of prayer, fasting and caring for the poor?

Or did you have a good start that fizzled a bit by the time the first meatless Friday rolled around?

Did you not make it to church on Ash Wednesday and have a feeling that Lent just hasn't got off the ground for you?

The "devil in the desert" in today's scriptures would like nothing better than for you to give up on Lent just because the first few days haven't gone as well as you might have liked.

Well, to hell with the devil!

Start Lent now right now!

Find 10 minutes a day to sit still and remember that God is present...
that's called prayer...

Choose some form of comfort (food or Southern?)
whose absence for 40 days will create an empty space
the Spirit might rush to fill...
that's called fasting...

Reach out to the poor on your own or through your parish Lenten program...
that's called almsgiving...

Find a way to remind yourself every day that you're living in the season of Lent. Something as simple as a post-it on your bathroom mirror with the word LENT on it -- nothing fancy, keep it simple -- just some way, day to day, to remember to pray, fast and reach out to the poor...

Lent is a spiritual spring time (whether you live above or below the equator!)
and it's not too late to plant the seeds of Lent in our lives...
Lent 2010