It’s always bittersweet to take down the Christmas decorations and pack them up. The living room looks cold and bare without the twinkling tree and I miss the crèche above the mantel. “God is with us”! it seemed to say whenever I passed by.
Today I hear a different voice: “Come.” Come to me, Return to me. Now that I’m here: where have you gone?
It’s true, I’ve taken a bit of a spiritual “break.” Fortunately Lent is right around the corner. I’ll need it, to remind me of my need. Like my stark living room, it creates a hunger in my soul. A yearning for God.
Lent is nearly a month away, but it’s not too soon to begin thinking of how you’ll spend the time drawing close to the One who calls you. Last year, many of you prayed the seven Penitential Psalms with me and used the seven deadly sins as a kind of examination of conscience. If you’d like to do that again, here’s a link (below) to instructions for praying with these Psalms and a schedule for Lent with links to all of my reflections so you can go to them at your leisure. Feel free to share a this post with others who may want to do the same.
Blessings!
2016 update: Set aside ten minutes a day during Lent for a “spiritual cleanse” using my new journal based on these posts, Create in Me a Clean Heart: 10 Minutes a Day in the Penitential Psalms, available in paperback and on Kindle.
Free download: Instructions for Praying with the Seven Penitential Psalms
Click on the links for reflections on the Psalms and sins:
|
Fridays in Lent |
Reflection: Penitential Psalm |
Reflection: “Deadly” Sin |
| 1 | Psalm 6 | Pride |
| 2 | Psalm 32 | Greed |
| 3 | Psalm 38 | Envy |
| 4 | Psalm 51 | Wrath |
| 5 | Psalm 102 | Lust |
| 6 | Psalm 130 | Gluttony |
| 7 | Psalm 143 | Sloth |
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