Day by day
Dear Lord, three things I pray:
To see thee more clearly
To love thee more dearly
To follow thee more nearly
Day by day
This is the prayer of St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253) adapted for the 1971 musical Godspell. It strikes me that this could be a very suitable prayer for lent. Lent is the period before Easter that begins with Ash Wednesday (March 1 this year) and ends with the Easter Vigil (evening, April 15). Lent is 40 days (if you exclude Sundays) and mirrors Jesus’ 40 day sojourn in the wilderness when he is tempted by the devil. It is traditionally a time of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.
Lent practices vary, but often include giving something up. People have been known to give up alcohol, smoking, sweets, Facebook, computer games, or unnecessary shopping for lent. What you give up depends on what is distracting for you in your life. It is choosing to make your life simpler at least for that period of time.
Some people add something devotional to their life. They might embark of a program of daily prayer, Bible reading and/or reflection for lent. It is a way of considering our relationship with God in a disciplined and consistent manner.
Some people choose to do something extra in lent. That might include volunteering, acts of kindness, being intentionally more environmentally friendly, downsizing our stuff to live more minimally, or giving extra to charity. Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect on the love we have for our neighbours and for our earth in a more consistent ad disciplined way.
In choosing what to do in lent, we have to ask ourselves, “What really matters?” You might want to pray the prayer above, as ask yourself what can I do that will enable me to see God more clearly, to love God more dearly and follow God more at this time in my life.
Blessed Lent
~ The Ven. Kathy Bowman