Thursday, April 10
Exodus 7:25-8:19
Psalms 131, 132, 133, 140, 142
2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Mark 10:17-31
Lent:
the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday until Easter observed by Christians as a
season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter.
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[Middle
English lenten, lente, spring, Lent, from Old English lencten; see del-1 in
Indo-European roots.]
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Advent:
the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event: (Advent) the first season of
the Church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding
Sundays.
[Old
English, from Latin adventus 'arrival', from advenire, from ad- 'to' + venire 'come.']
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Advent
and Lent, Lent and Advent.
During
Advent, our physical world gets darker and darker as winter comes upon us and
the days get shorter. In our secular and our sacred lives, it is the season of
lights, a joyous time of preparation for the birth of Christ and the
celebration of Christmas. We are busy, busy, busy, and can get so caught up in
preparing for Christmas that we do not set aside time to prepare for Christ.
As
we enter the Lenten season, the days are getting longer and lighter as Earth
moves closer to the Sun. If you garden, Spring is a time of anticipation as we
watch our gardens being re-born. Turning inward, Lent is a time of somber
preparation. We cover our crosses in veils. There are no flowers in church. The
building seems colder and darker, even as the world it sits in becomes warmer
and brighter.
Lent
is an invitation to sit quietly and contemplate the path that Jesus will walk
for us. We will accompany Him, but He is the one who will take the final steps,
these steps for us.
After
the pain and emotion of Holy Week, in a few short hours, the veil is taken
away. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are
transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory.
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But
I have calmed and quieted myself.
Joanne Polansky