I tend to think of Lent as a desert place. So, it was helpful to see this as today's meditation in Magnificat:
"It is in the desert, then, that salvation is first restored to humankind - there where are no rich foods, where there are no pleasures....In paradise the devil contends with Adam, and in the desert the devil struggles with Christ....The very body of the Christian is in a sense a desert when it is not filled with food and cheered with drink...Then Christ the Lord inhabits the desert of our body - when he has found that our land is desolate because of hunger and parched because of thirst."
- St. Maximus of Turin
And in his homily this morning, Father also spoke of the desert, saying it's "where you can take no joy in anything." And "where you feel the ground is collapsing under our feet." The desert can be a scary place.
The desert must be a scary place with no recognisable landmarks and very little water and vegetation. I think that having no Faith must be like living in a desert. When things get tough, where is comfort to be found?
ReplyDeleteWe are doing a Zoom Lent course at our church. The Rule of St Benedict is the basis of our course and we will be applying it to a diocesan project called 40 Days of Kindness. Our first meeting is tomorrow evening and we will see how it works out. Take care, Lisa! xoxo
The zoom course sounds great, Clare! I hope it meets with your expectations. xo
DeleteIt has begun fairly well and should give us plenty to talk, think and pray about. The usual strange/funny episodes that are part of on-line/video meetings abounded and were a bit of a distraction but also gave me at least, a good laugh (I made sure I kept myself on mute unless I needed to actually say anything) <3
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