. . . and this year, I feel it is coming not a moment too soon! The liturgical calendar of the year is so good as it divides up our year, not just by months, but in relation to the life of Christ and the life of the Church. Easter is so joyful, Advent is a time of much anticipation, Christmas is a time of much excitement, ordinary times remind us that much of life is ordinary and that is good, too. Lent, on the other hand is a time for reflection on repentance (although we should be repenting all year long) and the sacrifice of our Lord on the cross.
The last few weeks have been a bit frustrating for me as a mom. I've always noticed with my kids that attitudes, emotions, and growth seem to go in cycles, and at the moment we seem to be in a cycle of struggles. Of course, struggle brings growth and increased maturity which is positive in the end, but this doesn't take away from the fact that I've been up to my ears in arguing, complaining, back-talking, fighting between siblings, ungrateful attitudes, and a general expectation that one is entitled to all sorts of things in life.
So, it is with a grateful heart that I anticipate Ash Wednesday this week and the beginning of Lent. I am talking to the girls about it and am taking it as an opportunity for us all to hit the "restart" button on ourselves. I pray we can have repentance, increased humility, love for one another, and a general attitude of gratefulness (and not just the girls, but me included right at the top of the list).
In the Orthodox tradition, the Jesus prayer is said by many as a means to concentrate on one's inner life and this seems especially relevant for Lent. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
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