I am not sure what I expected, but as I crossed the threshold, the room with its cement floor, cinder block walls, and two small windows placed near the ceiling caused me to question my sanity. What in the world was I doing here? In lieu of a bed, a hammock hung from the ceiling in one corner of the room; and in another corner was a straight-back chair facing a shelf-like table that held a wooden cross fashioned from tree branches. There was no electricity, but there was running water, evidenced by the small sink and toilet tucked behind a half-wall that partially divided the space.

This was my first trip to the hermitage hidden deep in the woods on the grounds of a Benedictine monastery. I had decided that spending time in a hermitage would be a meaningful way to begin the Season of Lent. Now I wasn’t so sure. But as I looked around the room, I realized that the bare bones environment was intentional. There was nothing pleasant to look at, nothing to distract me. I could no longer run from God or hide behind work or family commitments. With nothing else to do, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and let the world around me disappear.

A cocoon-like silence enveloped me, and as my heart began to swell, I knew that I stood on holy ground. In the hours and days that followed, I discovered that it wasn’t the hermitage that was holy. It was the hermitage that God was building inside me that was pure, a place I could carry with me long after leaving the monastery grounds. This unexpected awakening gave me a new perspective, which in essence, is what Lent is all about.

The word Lent means a “lengthening of days.” It reminds us that we have time to turn away from sins and fall in love with God. We begin by stripping away excuses for our sins and shortcomings. We strive to shed illusions rooted in the false self and enter the desert with Jesus, where we are given the opportunity to discover what can only be learned through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Each year, the Church invites us to enter the desert because once is never enough. Despite our best intentions, we grow weary, our resolve dissipates, and our baptismal robe becomes soiled. Hence, the penitential tone of Lent invites us to fast not only from food but also from sin and all that may lead us astray. We recognize that we cannot do this by ourselves. So we profess our weakness and ask God to create a clean heart in us and renew our commitment to do good works.

Lent is serious business, but serious is not the same as gloomy. In fact, Lent can be a time for joyful consolation because the more we empty ourselves, the more God fills us with his grace and mercy. This is the good news with which we are called to begin our Lenten journey because as Saint Paul affirms: “In an acceptable time I heard you and on the day of salvation I helped you (2 Cor 6:2).”

About the Author: Barbara Hughes is a retreat leader, spiritual director, and columnist for the Catholic Virginian. She is also a contributor to Bringing Home the Word, a weekly e-newsletter that features practical suggestions for prayer and reflection at home. A new edition is posted every week at the link below.

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (2-19-23)
Bringing Home the Word (2-19-23)
The Kids Bulletin (2-19-23)

Art Credit: Photo 16936903 © Vetre Antanaviciute – Dreamstime

__________

Call to Prayer
The Fast Life

A Meditation for Lent