Lenten Fast

How is your Lenten fast going?

What is your thought on the purpose of the Lenten fast?

I ask because I've heard many adaptations over the years, from many circles. Some heroic, some rigorous, some charitable, some honestly still self-focused.

How is it that the goal of Lent, to get focus off oneself, is accomplished through denial? I think you would agree that denial seems to have the contrary effect, bringing amplified focus on oneself as we struggle, successfully or not, with the detachment from whatever we have chosen as our sacrifice.

Yet, I suspect therein lies the masterful mystery of all this tradition -- that in the very struggle, and for myself typically failure, in my good goal - in this, I find out a little more about who I really am than I might have cared to know. Forced to face my humanity, even depravity as I like Pilgrim get mired in the muck. This, this is the Lenten gift - to return to the mirror and acknowledge the limits of brokenness, particularly the broken parts of our relationship with our Creator God. For it is in seeing the distractions that so easily sidetrack us, how perhaps our connection with God is duct-taped together with twigs and rope, like a Scout table trying to act like a bridge.

I don't know about you, but when I cross the bridge to God, I'm carrying a lot of baggage with me. So the bridge, if not well constructed, doesn't get me very far before I fall through the cracks.

You know, we take the parable of the man who built his house on sand vs. rock and apply that to the man without faith, without trust in God. Yes, the winds can get strong and test the hardyness of a soul. Especially the unplanned tests. Yet even in this planned 'test' of Lenten fast, I fail so easily, so quickly. I don't know about you, but I need a strong bridge to God. I'm one of those who Run to God. And also run back when I think I've got the assignment clear in my head, ready to take on the challenge (on my own). Which explains why I need a strong bridge -- I return often. Perhaps the parable can be applied another way, as the bridge. I need to stop building 'sandy' bridges and pause to take the time for a sturdy bridge, with bigger branches and stronger rope. That takes time, effort, labor. The labor of Lent.

Always we begin again, as the first page of the Glenstal prayer book reads.