The Best-Laid Plans
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. We layout the best plans for our Lenten journey. We seek to approach Easter having undergone a well thought out and executed routine of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
If you are like me, this does not always go as planned. In fact, you may have completely fallen off of your well-laid plans and think your Lent is over. What if you only have a week left? What if you have a month left? What if it is literally the day after Ash Wednesday? What happens when Lent goes wrong?
First of all, we have to get this phrase out of our vocabulary. Lent cannot go wrong. Lent is there as a gift from God to restore harmony within our souls. It can also establish peace and harmony in our soul if it was lacking to begin with.
Our Lenten penances are built upon prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is important to discern how to exercise these during Lent (and beyond), but it is never too late during Lent to add or subtract practices. First, we need to examine why we are doing these penances.
Why Do We Do Penances?
Lenten practices heighten our awareness of God and allow God’s grace to penetrate our heights and minds more readily. So, it is important to be consistent. This is where most folks fall off the plan and stay off the plan. If we waver in our Lenten practices, there are three options: abandon course, alter course, or get back on course.
Three Options – Abandon, Alter, Acknowledge
Abandoning course is not an option for the Christian. No matter how difficult like gets and no matter how much we are suffering, Christ is there to share the burden. He does not tell us, “Be complacent and you will be happy.” Instead, He tells us to take up our cross, follow Him, and live the radical life of the Beatitudes.
We can alter course slightly. We can perhaps work on only a few disciples and try to really commit to them before adding more. The spirit is often willing, but the flesh is weak. This is not an excuse to stop pressing on. Instead, it is the realization that we should challenge ourselves, but we should do so by entering by the narrow stream taking one step at a time, rather than diving headlong into the ocean.
The third option is actually the first one to try. We must acknowledge where we have not lived up to our commitments. Instead of letting this define our Lent or cause us to despair, we simply get back on course. We ask God for the grace to begin again.
The Welcome at Every Start
Proverbs 24:16 says this: “… for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).” This very wise teaching tells us that the Christian life is a long-distance run, not a short sprint. We may fall several times (read: thousands of times), but we are always invited by God’s grace to get back up and try again.
There is a beautiful line in the Mumford and Sons song “Roll Away Your Stone” that encapsulates this reality. I think it also works well for a spiritual reminder during Lent and for our entire lives, really. The line goes like this: “It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart, but the welcome I receive with every start.”
It is inevitable that we will fall. It is part of our fallen human nature to be inclined to sin, to be weaker than we want to be, and to fail. However, God never fails. He never fails in extending His hand to lift us back up and get us back on course. Never be discouraged if you are clinging to God. And if you are distracted for a time, then simply allow God’s grace to give you a renewed focus.
Lent Resources
- Guess That Saint! October Edition
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn October is full of some powerhouse saints. Can you guess these saints? Tip: All of the answers are listed as “St.”, not “Saint.” You’ll get the answer wrong if you type out the word saint so be sure to abbreviate it for the sake of winning this fun game. Challenge… Read more: Guess That Saint! October Edition - We Can’t Have Two Masters | Breaking Bread Gospel ReflectionFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Jesus said to his disciples:“The person who is trustworthy in very small mattersis also trustworthy in great ones;and the person who is dishonest in very small mattersis also dishonest in great ones.If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,who will trust you with true wealth?If you are not trustworthy… Read more: We Can’t Have Two Masters | Breaking Bread Gospel Reflection
- Catholic Review: St. Bernadette’s Grit, Guts, And GraceFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn The drama of this saint’s story arrives to U.S. cinemas September 28 and 29. Every live theater lover longs for a remarkable and spellbinding connection during the show. Bernadette of Lourdes: The Musical offers exactly that—a spectacular work for both the faithful and the secular, carrying the audience into the… Read more: Catholic Review: St. Bernadette’s Grit, Guts, And Grace
- 4 Beautiful Catholic Shrines In The U.S. To Visit With KidsFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn These family-friendly pilgrimage destinations offer faith, beauty, and hands-on experiences for young hearts. Living less than an hour away from the only approved Marian Apparition Site in the United States–the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion–I grew up visiting the Shrine and going on field trips to the sacred… Read more: 4 Beautiful Catholic Shrines In The U.S. To Visit With Kids
- A Catholic Review Of BAU: Artist At WarFacebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Finding Creative Hope In The Heart of Hell – In Theaters September 26 Some movies simply captivate you, not just for their technical brilliance but for their ability to tell a story that feels both authentic and universally relatable. These are the kind of films that challenge you, enlighten you,… Read more: A Catholic Review Of BAU: Artist At War
