Lent – A New Beginning
Since 2014 I have walked the ‘Camino de Santiago’ 5 times. It is a walk to northern Spain, where it is believed the bones of St James the Apostle are to be found. It is the journey, not the destination that is important. For me it has always been an opportunity to get to know myself better, what I am about, and where I am going. I always come away recharged.
I think Lent is like that also. A chance to recharge the batteries. We know we are at heart good people – God doesn’t make junk – but we also know we are not quite the people God intended us to be. Lent is the opportunity to be again that person that God calls us to be.
The readings for Ash Wednesday call us to prayer, personal sacrifice, and almsgiving (giving money or food to others – Cyclone Gabrielle comes to mind here). Today’s Gospel from Matthew, sees Jesus rejecting temptations put to him. Our temptations may not be so dramatic, but each of us have our own ‘demons’ that would stop us being the person we are really called to be. Lent is a time to confront and overcome our own personal demons.
Last weekend, I attended the ‘Divine Renovation Conference’ in Sydney, with Debbie Matheson and Randy Reyes. It was a wonderful experience of renewal and we will talk more about that in the weeks ahead.
Ultimately though, parish renewal must start with personal renewal. That is what the Season of Lent is about.
Fr Ron
