Lent in the Context of Falling in Love

When I was growing up, I always took on Lent grudgingly. Lent was always the time to give up the things I liked; soda, chocolate, and candy. But as a kid, I never wanted to give up those things I enjoyed.  I always found Lent difficult and I never looked forward to the season of Lent!  Easter, however, that was a blast; chocolate, candy and soda galore. 

Everyone knows the number one question of a growing child; "but why?"  I asked the same question, "Why do I have to give something up for Lent?" The answer I received never satisfied me; “that’s just what we (Catholics) do.”  Nor did it ever change my perspective on Lent.  To me, Lent was something not enjoyable and something I had to grudge my way through. 

It wasn't until later that my world was turned upside down!  My perspective of Lent was not of pain and suffering, but on the context of LOVE!  Fr. Louis Evely wrote, "When one loves, one is (necessarily) led to fast - without even thinking of it.  But when one fasts in order to suffer...it is difficult to imagine that it leads us to love or be happy.  Any true love engenders sacrifice, but any sacrifice does not engender love.  God is not sacrifice.  God is LOVE and because he is LOVE, he has become sacrifice - a joyful sacrifice"

 

Mind blown!  If we start with sacrifice, it doesn't mean we will end with love.  But if we start with love, we will come to sacrifice.  This is clear from the times I fell in love, which has happened to me more then once.  When I was falling in love, it was easy for me to spend time and converse with the girl I loved.  I would actually look for more opportunities to talk. I can remember a few nights staying up and talking until the sun rose and at the same time desiring for the night not to end.  When I fell in love I remember how easy it was to make sacrifices.  I would give up many things without even a second thought.  I would easily skip a meal, skip a nap, give up hanging out with the guys, if that meant it would allow me to stay in the presence of the one I loved.  I also remember how easy it was to give gifts.  How I would see flowers and items to give as gifts.  I would make any excuse to give them too!

What does the Church ask of us this Lent-en season?  Prayer, fasting and alms giving.  What are these things if not conversing with the Lord, making sacrifices for the Lord, and giving gifts to the Lord? The Church is asking us to re-new our love for the Lord.  The Church is calling us to an opportunity of love! If we do that, then all the sacrifices, gifts, and conversations with God will make sense of the fasting, alms giving, and prayer the Church is encouraging us to do.  The Church is encouraging us to engage in Love! 

But we need to make sure we start with love!  If we try to do these things the other way around, as Fr. Evely pointed out in his quote, it's not guaranteed we will love!  Let us ask the Lord for the grace to be moved by love this Lent-en season, that the sacrifices we do choose are moved by love so that we can come to grow closer in love with the Lord!

A Scripture Meditation from the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-2 - for this upcoming Sunday Gospel!

"At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert...He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry."  

Jesus wasn't hungry during the forty days, but only AFTER!  Why?  Jesus drawn by the Holy Spirit conversed with his Heavenly Father for forty days.  Who of us wouldn't forsake a meal to continue a conversation with a person we love?