We enter this season of Lent in preparation for the joy of Easter and the Resurrection of our Lord. We enter the many practices that have become the traditions of the season and they facilitate us in this journey. These thoughts will focus on, what seems to this writer, a reality of the season that is under emphasized: the Joy of Lent.
Who, in this journey of life, has not looked back and been sad, remorseful, horrified, felt guilt, for deeds, thoughts, actions, done intentionally and unintentionally? Who, even after confession and absolution has not still felt the sting of such events, in their lives?
Have you noticed that when you are in a time of consolation and the Lord is experienced in all His warmth and love the evil one will recall to mind those regrets and sad moments trying to steal any joy or warmth God has blessed you with?
Suggestion: Perhaps Lent is also about experiencing the mercy, forgiveness, love and sheer joy of the Lord. Not in the context of some intellectual, theology head “stuff” but preparing one’s self to be vulnerable, open to, receptive to the waves of mercy God has for us.
Understanding theology is good for it produces sound practice but it can be less than one hoped for unless it is also comes to us in experiential theology that is actually experiencing God and His actions in our lives. Experiential theology is the incarnation of God’s truth and mercy into our lives. We are vulnerable to experiencing God’s action in this manner when we are able to pray in, with and from our heart. His mercy becomes real in an existential manner. It is no longer just head knowledge but heart knowledge.
Prayer must be heard within one’s heart that often comes when one is with the Lord in silence. It is an active silence where one is listening and vulnerable. It is a time of peace when one is in communion with God.
When Paul wrote in Romans 8, “…now there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus…” we can believe it in our whole mind. But that may only be half the story. Perhaps one of the opportunities of Lent is to prepare ourselves to receive that reality in our whole heart. Lent can be an opportunity to move this reality and action of God from our heads to our hearts.
To be sure let Lent be a time of repentance and penance but let us not miss the opportunity for it is a time for the fullness of God’s mercy. So when the devil attacks we can sing in response; “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy. Joy down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.”