A Lenten Reflection by SSJ Associate Mary Fuhrman

Many Christians eagerly embrace Lent. Historically, I have not been one of them. Lent follows too quickly upon the Christmas Season for my tastes. A couple days after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (final day of the Liturgical Christmas Season) while I am still basking in the joy of the Incarnation, my email inbox begins to fill with invitations to participate in Lenten programs and practices that will enhance my spiritual growth. Thinking about Lent, the season of penitential practices, begins to dampen my joyous spirit. It also gives me time to adjust my attitude.

“There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter” (Evangelii Gauduim. 2013, §6). Rereading these words of Pope Francis recently, they once again caught my eye. It can be easy to lose sight of what is not directly in front of us. I can get lost in the images of the suffering Jesus that abound during Lent, and temporarily lose site of the power of the Resurrection. Jesus’ intense Passion is remote from my less challenging hardships, creating an artificial distance between us. Tuning in to the news, however, reveals people around the world suffering Jesus’ intense Passion in our own time.

Beyond a season of sacrifice, Lent is an opportunity for a deep encounter with God, to reflect on our lives, recognize our faults, and open ourselves to grace. Lent calls us to prayer, compassion and mercy, renewal and transformation. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are fundamental to Lent. In prayer we lift our hearts and minds to God, ready to listen. With fasting and sacrifice we rein in our urges and focus on what is most important. Beyond giving money, almsgiving involves service; acts of love and compassion towards those in need, putting faith into action. Lent is not intended to be a time of sadness but a journey of hope. It is not just about sacrifice and giving up, but about making space for God to enter in, to gain in holiness, in love, in communion with God. Lent is not about simply following external rules but embracing an inner commitment.

Pope Francis, in his 2021 Lenten message, observed that “Indifference to our neighbor and to God represents a real temptation for Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience.”