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
- 4th Sunday Of Lent Gospel Reflection John 9:1-41
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly This reflection is an excerpt from The Liturgical Sense of the Readings at Mass (Year A). Click here to purchase! As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.His disciples asked him,“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”Jesus answered,“Neither he nor his parents… Read more: 4th Sunday Of Lent Gospel Reflection John 9:1-41 - As A Catholic Parent, Here’s How I Guide My Kids When They’re Afraid
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Most of our fears as young kids revolve around nighttime. As we grow up, the tools we’re taught stay with us. Whether you’ve got young ones or older ones (or fears yourself), you can keep it simple with these ways my husband and I fight fears with our kids. What… Read more: As A Catholic Parent, Here’s How I Guide My Kids When They’re Afraid - How Many Catholics Have Won the Nobel Peace Prize?
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Throughout history, Catholics—both religious and lay—have actively engaged in efforts to end war, poverty, hunger, and injustice. From vastly different disciplines and corners of the world, they have placed their lives at the service of peace, following Jesus’ command: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children… Read more: How Many Catholics Have Won the Nobel Peace Prize? - 3rd Sunday Of Lent Reflection: Do You Trust Jesus?
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.Jacob’s well was there.Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water.Jesus said to her,“Give me… Read more: 3rd Sunday Of Lent Reflection: Do You Trust Jesus? - Redemptive Suffering: Uncovering The “Hidden Treasure” Of Suffering
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly “It all just feels so pointless.” A few days into Lent, a good friend shared these words with me about the practices she decided to adopt for the season. This friend, enduring a time of trial in her life, felt incapable of doing anything grand for the penitential season,… Read more: Redemptive Suffering: Uncovering The “Hidden Treasure” Of Suffering
