A Sexagesima Sunday Thought About the Coming of Lent
Lent arrives in a couple of weeks. Are you prepared? According to the calendar of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, today is Sexagesima Sunday. Traditionally, the Church observed the three Sundays before Ash Wednesday - Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima - by having the priest wear purple and the liturgy begin to focus our hearts and minds on the coming of Lent. It was a kind of transition from both the joy of the Christmas Season followed by the weeks after Christmas which we now call "Ordinary" time. By wearing purple, the priest reminds us that we ought to be making our preparations for the holy season of Lent.
For some reason, the calendar used by the newer Novus Ordo rite did not preserve the previous tradition of special preparation for Lent, but that doesn't mean we can't. And so it's time for us to consider how we - each of us - will personally observe Lent this year.
I recently read something that's had me thinking of Lent a little differently this year. The suggestion was made that we ought to recognize that we are probably somewhat different people this year than we were last year. We've grown older, perhaps more mature in our spiritual lives, perhaps not. But we are, in any event somewhat different. And so our plan for this year's Lenten observances ought to reflect that.
And so a simple examination of our lives over the past year might be in order during these days leading to Ash Wednesday. If we've made spiritual progress over the last year, how can we perhaps enhance that progress during Lent. If we haven't made any progress, what can we do to spur ourselves to taking those first steps we need to take to grow closer to Our Lord? These may be acts of denial, designed to curb those habits or passions that lead us to sin. They may be special daily prayers, perhaps attending daily Mass, designed to spend a bit more of our busy day in the presence of God. They may be acts of charity designed to turn our gaze from our typically selfish daily thoughts and actions to those who need our help, perhaps who need our love.
Whatever applies to you - specifically, individually to you - pray for the grace to discern, during this time of preparation for Lent what individual actions might lead you this day, in this prayer, to move ever closer to He who suffered and died in reparation for your sins.
So what do you think? Isn't this tradition of preparing for Lent a really good idea? I think so. Nothing against the Novus Ordo, but the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass does a better job here by reminding us of and preparing us for Lent.
So let's get on with it. Let's plan our Lent. Let's figure what acts of prayer, penance and charity we will perform when Ash Wednesday rolls around. It's a lot more sensible and beneficial to our eternal souls to prepare now, to anticipate Lent, rather than wake up on Ash Wednesday in a couple of weeks and figure out what we want to or ought to do to observe Lent appropriately. C'mon, you know if you approach Lent that way - basically paying little or not attention to Lent until Ash Wednesday arrives one of these days - you'll be deep into Lent before you really develop the habits and practices that will help your spiritual life grow by bringing you ever closer to Our Lord.
Wake up. Plan your Lent. Decide now what you want to do that's extraordinary. Lent will be here any minute now. What are you waiting for?
For some reason, the calendar used by the newer Novus Ordo rite did not preserve the previous tradition of special preparation for Lent, but that doesn't mean we can't. And so it's time for us to consider how we - each of us - will personally observe Lent this year.
I recently read something that's had me thinking of Lent a little differently this year. The suggestion was made that we ought to recognize that we are probably somewhat different people this year than we were last year. We've grown older, perhaps more mature in our spiritual lives, perhaps not. But we are, in any event somewhat different. And so our plan for this year's Lenten observances ought to reflect that.
And so a simple examination of our lives over the past year might be in order during these days leading to Ash Wednesday. If we've made spiritual progress over the last year, how can we perhaps enhance that progress during Lent. If we haven't made any progress, what can we do to spur ourselves to taking those first steps we need to take to grow closer to Our Lord? These may be acts of denial, designed to curb those habits or passions that lead us to sin. They may be special daily prayers, perhaps attending daily Mass, designed to spend a bit more of our busy day in the presence of God. They may be acts of charity designed to turn our gaze from our typically selfish daily thoughts and actions to those who need our help, perhaps who need our love.
Whatever applies to you - specifically, individually to you - pray for the grace to discern, during this time of preparation for Lent what individual actions might lead you this day, in this prayer, to move ever closer to He who suffered and died in reparation for your sins.
So what do you think? Isn't this tradition of preparing for Lent a really good idea? I think so. Nothing against the Novus Ordo, but the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass does a better job here by reminding us of and preparing us for Lent.
So let's get on with it. Let's plan our Lent. Let's figure what acts of prayer, penance and charity we will perform when Ash Wednesday rolls around. It's a lot more sensible and beneficial to our eternal souls to prepare now, to anticipate Lent, rather than wake up on Ash Wednesday in a couple of weeks and figure out what we want to or ought to do to observe Lent appropriately. C'mon, you know if you approach Lent that way - basically paying little or not attention to Lent until Ash Wednesday arrives one of these days - you'll be deep into Lent before you really develop the habits and practices that will help your spiritual life grow by bringing you ever closer to Our Lord.
Wake up. Plan your Lent. Decide now what you want to do that's extraordinary. Lent will be here any minute now. What are you waiting for?
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