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El Greco: Portrait of Saint Bartholomew

LENT 2007:
Red triangleWednesday Evening Program
Red trianglePray the Penitential Psalms
Red triangleRule of Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving
Red triangleFridays: Stations of the Cross at 7 pm

A PRAYER against sin by Fr. Louis OCSO, monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani*

"Let me use all things for one sole reason: to find my joy in giving You glory.

"Therefore, keep me, above all things, from sin. Keep me from the death of deadly sin which puts hell in my soul. Keep me from the murder of lust that blinds and poisons my heart. Keep me from the sins that eat a man's flesh with irresistible fire until he is devoured. Keep me from loving money in which is hatred, from avarice and ambition that suffocate my life. Keep me from the dead works of vanity and the thankless labor in which artists destroy themselves for pride and money and reputation, and saints are smothered under the avalanche of their own importunate zeal. Staunch in me the rank wound of covetousness and the hungers that exhaust my nature with their bleeding. Stamp out the serpent envy that stings love with poison and kills all joy.

"Untie my hands and deliver my heart from sloth. Set me free from the laziness that goes about disguised as activity when activity is not required of me, and from the cowardice that does what is not demanded, in order to escape sacrifice.

"But give me the strength that waits upon You in silence and peace. Give me humility in which alone is rest, and deliver me from pride which is the heaviest of burdens. And possess my whole heart and soul with the simplicity of love. Occupy my whole life with the one thought and the one desire of love, that I may love not for the sake of merit, not for the sake of perfection, not for the sake of virtue, not for the sake of sanctity, but for You alone."

*Thomas Merton, from his Seeds of Contemplation, 1961



 

  

The Lenten Rule:
Allowing God into our Lives

WHILE we primarily think of Lent as being a time of penitence and preparation for the Resurrection, we should approach it as an opportunity for renewal. When we become Christians, we assume a variety of spiritual disciplines so that we will better follow Jesus. During Lent, we rededicate ourselves to these disciplines and make them a bit more stringent. The following disciplines are often elements of a rule of life and can be ‘tightened’ to keep a holy and invigorating Lent.

1. Corporate Worship/Mass: Every Christian assumes an obligation to worship God on Sundays. If we don’t already, during Lent, take advantage of the parish’s daily mass and special Lenten devotions (e.g., Stations of the Cross) on a regular basis. For example, we could give ourselves the discipline of attending an extra mass each week.

2. Prayer: Prayer is the sine qua non of Christian life. Without prayer, we allow our relationship with our Lord to wither. During Lent, we might engage in Morning and Evening Prayer (or a portion of these offices) as provided in the Prayer Book. We should spend more time in private or personal prayer: giving thanks, making petitions for ourselves, interceding for others, confessing our sins, adoring God. We can meditate on God’s presence and activity in our lives. We can meditate on scripture. There are many other forms of meditation, and Fr. Davenport is happy to discuss these with you.

3. Fasting & Abstinence: Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days, and then Satan came and tempted him. Jesus, the second and faithful Adam, resists the temptations, unlike Adam who succumbed and lost paradise. At the end of our Lord's ordeal the angels came and ministered unto him.

The Church, therefore, encourages us to fast during the forty days of Lent as we unite ourselves to the mystery of Jesus in the desert. This exercises our spiritual muscles to deepen our life in Christ, to strengthen our character, to resist temptation. Fasting also works as a means of intercession (especially remembering the hungry and those in need) and expresses our sorrow for our sin. The hunger pains we feel have the effect of recalling our attention to God and impressing upon us the need for gratitude for all the gifts which we receive from God, who is our physical and spiritual bread. So we do not fast to diet, but to glorify God.

What is fasting? We fast by reducing the amount of food we eat. This means one or two light meals and one full meal late in the day. On Fridays throughout the year, and especially in Lent, we abstain from meat. It is also good to avoid meat on Wednesdays in Lent. Indeed, many abstain from meat all of Lent. Children, travelers, the ill, the elderly, and those engaged in heavy labour are not bound by this law of the Church. We can also fast from things we enjoy, like chocolate, tobacco, and alcohol.

We do not fast or abstain on the Sundays in Lent as well as on the Feasts of S. Joseph (19 March) and of the Annunciation of our Lord (25 March). These are feasts and should be kept as such - eat, drink, and always be merry.

4. Spiritual or Bible Reading: What are you learning? Where are you working to stretch your heart and your mind. During Lent, we can devote ourselves to study of scripture, say reading a gospel along with a commentary. We can read a book to nourish our awareness of ourselves and of God’s presence and activity. Some possible books that may deepen your life in Christ are:

  • Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words by Stanley Hauerwas
  • The Scriptures, the Cross and the Power of God: Reflections for Holy Week by Tom (N.T.) Wright
  • Known to the Senses by Martin Warner
  • Love Set Free by Martin L. Smith, SSJE
  • Power and Passion by Samuel Wells
  • What’s the Point of being a Christian by Timothy Radcliffe

Other edifying authors include Rowan Williams, Richard Rolheiser, and Henry Nouwen. Please also do not hesitate to speak to any of the parish clergy for ideas about what to read this Lent.

5. Ministry/Service/Good Works: Lent is a good time to reach out to others. This can mean giving time and financial support to charities and community groups as well as the church. Lent can be a catalyst for involvement with those and need. It is also a time to strengthen relationships with everyone we know. We can use this time to drop a note to someone, to visit someone who has difficulty getting out or who is sick, or to do another kind thing for someone.

6. Confession/Sacrament of Reconciliation: Everyone may, and some should, take advantage of the privilege of confessing sin and receiving God’s absolution. Use of this sacrament builds trust in God, gratitude, and humility, and it is enormously liberating. As the psalmist says, “Taste and see how gracious the Lord is.” When we experience God’s mercy, we are more merciful to others. “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

7. Time for family and friends/“Quality Time”: Lent provides us with an opportunity to resolve to make time for the most important things in life – for our relationships, for being with others, for quiet time alone. Lent should remind us to enjoy family and friends.

8. Family prayer and devotions/grace at meals: If you don’t already, this Lent say grace before your meals. Give thanks to God for sustaining you. We can also spend time each day for special devotions or prayers with family and friends.

9. Areas to grow/Manners to cultivate/Bad habits to conquer: We can dedicate Lent to cultivate holiness in a specific virtue. For example, we might spend Lent dedicated to improving our relationships or building friendships or reaching out to strangers. We can try to cultivate a cheerful disposition or gratitude or humility. Conversely, we can refrain (fast!) from bad habits, such as feeling sorry for ourselves, or impatience, or gossip, or grumbling, or vulgarity, or speaking ill of others.

We can also try to improve our use of time. For example, we might give up television or something we enjoy. We might take on physical exercise. If we work too much and are too serious, we might require ourselves to spend some time goofing off.

10. Physical activity: An often over-looked way to nourish our minds and spirits is to get physical activity. Physical activity can help to make our minds and spirits more alert and vigorous. While we can become too obsessed with the body, we can also neglect it to our spiritual detriment. Lent can be an opportunity to resolve to improve our treatment of our bodies (temples of the Holy Spirit).

MODERATION. While we have listed many things here, don’t take on too much, but don’t neglect this great opportunity. Lent is a gift from God, something for which we are grateful and can enjoy.

  

1217 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW
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The Rev. Fr. Lane Davenport

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