Lenten Meditation

Lent 2021

Brothers and Sisters,

Grace and peace in Christ Jesus!

Lent is upon us!  Come, Holy Spirit!  Bring us, once again, to a place of conversion!  Replace our stony hearts with hearts of flesh! 

Lent is a time of deepening conversion.  Our goal here is captured by the Greek word metanoia, which could be translated as a "radical change of heart."  The word implies something like "going beyond the mind."  We need to lay down the worldly mindset that gradually takes us over and put on the mind of Christ!  This is a work of grace: a pure gift of God by His gracious mercy!  But, it also calls for some effort on our part. 

This year, we're proposing something new for Lent!  I am asking all domestic members to add one small but significant thing to the Lenten practices you will be doing.  I am asking that you join us in meditating daily on our Way of Life.  Below, you will find a link to a document that has broken our Way of Life into 40 segments, one for each day of Lent.  Each segment is about one page, just the perfect length for a little Lectio divina.

Beginning on Ash Wednesday and following through all the days of Lent, please join me and all your domestic brothers and sisters by taking to prayer these short segments from our Way of Life.

And, by doing so, please join me in asking the Lord to bring us to deeper conversion, which will lead to new life in Christ.  "All that matters is that one be created anew."  And, new life in Christ will lead to a deeper filling with the Holy Spirit, strengthening us to live our community's charism with joyful radiance and sending us out on mission to our world that needs to hear His Good News!

Please know that you and your families will remain in my prayers for a truly blessed Lent!

Peace and good!

Andrew Billing, BSCD
Domestic General Minister
The Brothers and Sisters of Charity