By Sister Pat Murphy, SSND
During Lent I typically strive/desire to embrace the message in the liturgical readings on Ash Wednesday: to pray, fast, and give alms, asking God to create a new heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit in me.
This is certainly my intention for this year, although I hope it will be in a deeper and more contemplative way.
This takes me to an experience I had a few weeks ago participating in the latest Zoom in the What Makes Us One program, a collaboration of the province Associate Office and Well for The Journey. The topic was Embracing Winter: Nature’s Healing Power.
After the program, I realized that the word Lent comes from the Middle English word lente, meaning “springtime.” I have spent years trying to imagine spring before it was due.
By nature of the date of Easter this year, all but seven days of Lent occur during Winter. So, my intention is to pull out my notes and pictures from the presentation and let its richness embrace me.
Heidi Pan-Schrieber, PhD, the presenter, noted that “The stillness and quiet of winter are an opportunity to dive inward and conserve our resources. It is also a great time to practice saying no: to the activities that keep us overworked and over-extended.”
My dream is to integrate a commitment to Laudato Sí with a commitment to quiet prayer and daily poetry reading.
Doing this may include reviewing my responses to her journal questions, such as where do I need rest in my life? How can I renew?
Additionally, I hope to practice a sit spot quietly experiencing nature outside, or walk around the block at least ten minutes a day no matter how cold it is. The workshop presents many other opportunities to embrace winter.
No doubt I will return to some of my favorite poets (Rilke, Denise Levertov, Mary Oliver and Anne Sexton).
I am blessed to have a Lenten Poetry Companion: Poems for Prayer and Pondering published by Education for Justice from the Center of Concern many years ago.
As I review this article, I note some pretty tentative words in my reflections on my upcoming Lenten journey: strive, desire, intention, dream, hope, may.
Just writing this piece challenges me to practice what I preach this Lent, and also allows me, in the words of Augustine, to “Do what you can do and pray to God to do what you cannot!”
