“Each year You give us this joyful season of Lentwhen we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heartrenewed…”
From the preface of the Mass on Ash Wednesday
Have you ever thought of Lent as a joyful season? We tend to focus on what we give up and on all of the hard things we’re supposed do. We easily fall into the impression that Lent is intended to be drudgery, something to be endured for forty days and then forgotten on Easter morning. The true meaning and power of Lent is sometimes lost to us.It may be a totally new concept, but Lent is a joyful season. Its purpose is not to punish us or test our willpower but to bring us closer to Christ and transform us into His likeness.During Lent, God invites us to cooperate with this transformational process. By fully participating in the joyful adventure of Lent, we can set out afresh on our journey of faith and our quest to be more Christ-like.As we begin this season of Lent, let us pray for a new perspective that will open to us fresh possibilities. In joy, may we come to a deeper and fuller understanding of what Lent can mean in our lives. I wish you a HAPPY LENT!