“Memento mori!” (remember you must die) the priest said as he placed ashes on my forehead this Ash Wednesday. Forty days from now on Easter Sunday, he will proclaim the Risen Lord, and new life. In between these two days is Lent.
Before I knew how to spell Lent, I new a cold, dark time of the year when everyone in the house seemed on edge, ready to snap at the littlest of things. Today, I realize that was Lent. In those days my parents fasted every day, even Sundays and worst of all, my father would give up drinking. I couldn’t wait for Easter when we’d all go back to our dysfunctional normalness.
Looking for some interesting thoughts on Lent, I came across a most remarkable website, New Catholic Generation. It is a group of Catholic teens sharing their faith on YouTube. The above is their take on Lent. I thought it was pretty good. The teen, I don’t think he ever gave his name, states that Lent is a time to look at the person we would like to become, compare that with the person we are now, and choose some actions that will help us get there. Sounds pretty good to me. Thanks New Catholic Generation!
We are a community of laymen and laywomen who, with vowed Passionists, seek to share in the charism of St. Paul of the Cross through prayer, ongoing spiritual formation, and proclamation of the message of Christ Crucified.
