Hasn't It Been a Joyful Lent?

Pope Francis

Throughout our lives, there are many seasons: birth, growth, sickness, sorrow, sin, repentance, redemption, vocation, love, tragedy, death, and, hopefully, eternal glory. Our faith and our Church help us walk through these experiences through the practice of the seasons of the Liturgical Year and the mysteries of the Rosary. When we walk each year through the seasons of Christ’s life or each week through the seasons of Mary’s motherhood, we are spiritually equipped for the journey of our lives as Christians.

And so, each Lent we practice repentance and sacrifice. We remember the temptations and sufferings of our Lord, His mother and His followers especially during Holy Week. Each Lent I feel the somberness, the seriousness, the immensity of the celebration to come, the horror of what my perfectly worthy Lord did for an unworthy me. But I didn’t really do that this year.

Shroud of Turin

Don’t get me wrong, I practiced my Lenten devotions and sacrifices, but this was the most exciting, joyful Lent of my life, filled with anticipation and surprises. As Lent began, the Church militant was abuzz learning about the history and procedures of papal abdication and we all began to pray for our Church and the Pope of our future. The anticipation of what the Holy Spirit would bring us next felt more like Advent than Lent. And then, before Lent was over, we had our gift, a new Holy Father who was and continues to be the first of many things. While his humility and simplicity is surely appropriate to the Lenten season, getting to know him feels more like Christmas. Before Pope Benedict left His public ministry, he authorized the television broadcast of the Shroud of Turin for Holy Saturday, another Lenten gift.

Strangely, my personal life followed the trend, with exciting changes at home and at work. Special events postponed due to Superstorm Sandy suddenly filled our calendar and my son reveled in the lightness of experiencing his First Confession. Our first Kickstarter project for Making Music Praying Twice made its goal early and we are trying to reach a new goal, funding even more of our new curriculum.

So, I can’t help but feel like Christmas and Lent got a little confused this year, but I’m not complaining. God bless you all and merry...uh...Lent.

image credit