“For Lent, I am going to give into being dust. In a way, that is giving up something. It is giving up the hard and marbleized parts of who I am, whether formed over decades or just this last year.”
“Open your eyes to see: the sparkle of snow, the colors of a sunset, a smile, the way the light falls on the floor, the first signs of new life, hands reaching out for a hug, crayons cascading over paper, a pile of books waiting to be read.”
““I neither seek nor wish for anything but you, my Lord Jesus”. With these words, Margaret of Cortona, answered the Lord’s question, “’What is your wish, poverella?’” (little poor one)
“Perhaps Perseverance will help me to lay aside some of the things that cause me grief so that I stretch into God’s presence. The Creator God’s love for me, for the particular human being that I am, is one of the most profound paradoxes I know. It is impossible to wrap my mind around it — even more impossible than wrapping my head around Mars.”
“During Lent, we reflect on our sins and work to overcome [sins] with God’s help and grace. We wear ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday to outwardly show that we are inwardly contemplating our mortality – and probably morality as well.”
“Abba, may we bend the knee
of our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies,
to live in joyful obedience to your will.”
“We do not exercise the disciplines of Lent because we are afraid God might not be merciful – and we must compel God’s presence into our lives by piety – or by fooling God into believing that we really are good enough – but because God can be nothing but merciful. God has a proprietary interest in you, living between your bone and soul.”
“God of mystery and wisdom,
be with us this Lenten season.
As we walk to the cross
keep our eyes fixed
on you and your love -“
“Today, I sacrificed a one of my precious masks for the sake of Ash Wednesday. Normally I burn a stack of palm crosses and fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration just as many churches do.”
“In all these situations, awe is often a component of the experience. Our hearts are opened up, our minds are silenced, and we perceive a reality beyond the ordinary.”