It's only been three days so far, and I've lost count of the people who have expressed to me how much they "hate Lent."
This morning a fellow church musician mentioned that she finds Lenten music to be full of Gloom and Doom.
Granted, this is not a cheerful time, in the sense that Christmas and Easter are cheerful. But it is certainly a hopeful time. It is a time to look forward to the holiest Three Days that we celebrate as a Church. As we remind ourselves each week as we recite the Memorial Acclamation, "Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world."
At Mass today our choir will sing this song by Dan Schutte:
Let us ever glory in the cross of Christ,
Our salvation and our hope.
Let us bow in homage to the Lord of life,
Who was broken to make us whole.
There is no greater love, as blessed as this,
To lay down one's life for a friend.
Let us ever glory in the cross of Christ
And the triumph of God's great love.
Let us tell the story of the cross of Christ
As we share this heavenly feast.
We become one body in the blood of Christ
From the great to the very least.
When we eat of this bread and drink of this cup
We honor the death of the Lord.
Let us ever glory in the cross of Christ
And the triumph of God's great love.
(copyright 2000, OCP)
During this season of Lent, may we remember that it's not All About Us. It's not about whether we can abide giving up chocolate, or soda, or colored sprinkles. These sacrifices are small potatoes indeed when we meditate on what Christ was willing to do for our sakes.
May we walk through this Lent with a joyful spirit.
Saint Bernardine of Siena wrote that Saint Francis once said:
May the fiery and honey-sweet power of your love, O Lord, wean me from all things under heaven, so that I may die for love of your love, who deigned to die for love of my love.
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