Many paths on a Lenten journey.
Make room for the quiet, and the stillness will speak to you.
You might say the stars have aligned. Or maybe the hand of Providence reached out. Could just be the time of year — the start of Lent. But it does seem as if I’m surrounded by a lot of spirituality right now. Maybe the real reason is that I need it!
Whatever the case, I have numerous opportunities for spiritual reflection as we begin that time honored period leading up to the Easter celebration. Forty days and 40 nights; five weeks for some spiritual reflection. More often than not I have used this time to “give up” something, or at least try. Unfortunately, those attempts have been just that and have ended up in failures. So this year I think a better option is not to “give up” but to “get into” something meaningful. As I said, it appears I have many options.
As a lifelong Catholic, I attend Mass on the majority of Sundays, have served as the church organist for decades, and value most of the features of my faith. Our St. Anthony’s Catholic Church is a beautiful structure, so who wouldn’t want to spend time there.
But I’ve never participated in a Bible Study, either in our parish or in another setting. So when a young female parishioner started one, I took the leap. Our weekly hour-long sessions revolve around the video series, The Chosen. This multi-season television series follows the life of Jesus, focusing on lesser known people who were close to him. I’ve only seen the first two episodes, so I’m new to the program, but it appears to have a huge following. Interesting, too, is the way it has been funded. Production costs were covered with over $40 million raised through crowdfunding, making it the most successful television series to have used this source. The series is free to watch via the app. It is also available on some streaming platforms and there are DVD’s for purchase. I just received the study guide that accompanies the series: “What Does It Mean To Be Chosen?” I don’t know, but I’m about to find out.
Another path I’m following on this Lenten journey is one set forth by St. Benedict. I actually started this walk last December when a friend asked me to tag along on a retreat at the St. Benedict Monastery. Tucked away in the hills of northeastern Nebraska, this monastery provides a beautiful setting for prayer and contemplation. Billed as a silent retreat, we had only one hour with a retreat leader who gave us some very sage advice on silence and achieving it. That is no easy task. Whether it’s in prayer, meditation or just an attempt to be still and not talk, all sorts of things get in the way of achieving that plane of stillness. His handouts gave numerous suggestions from religious, to mystics, monks and lay authors. One I particularly liked was Martin Laird in his book, Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation.” He said most people don’t stick with a contemplative discipline for very long. They expect inner peace but find, instead, inner chaos. In answer to that he offers this: “The peace will indeed come, but it will be the fruit. Not the pushing away of distractions but meeting thoughts and feelings with stillness instead of commentary. This is the skill we must learn.”
In the “silence” of my monastery bedroom at the retreat center I had ample time to practice stillness and to read. I discovered in my bedside table a small pamphlet, “The Rules of St. Benedict.” Seemed appropriate since I was staying at a Benedictine monastery. But weren’t the rules written as guidelines for monks leading the monastic life. Would there be relevancy for me? One of the first “rules” I read had to do with silence. “Monks should diligently cultivate silence at all times…Speaking and teaching are the master’s task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.” Guess there is a message there for me. And upon further reading, I discovered St. Benedict had a message for all of us. A plan for living, if you will, that spells out how to live a balanced, simple and prayerful life.
Then in a pleasant piece of synergy, what did I receive from my daughter for Christmas but Sister Joan Chittester’s book: The Rule of St. Benedict: for the 21st Century. She literally picks apart each of the rules and lays out their relevance to today’s secular world. Themes of stewardship, humility, equality and contemplation run throughout the book. But it’s also meant to be read slowly and intentionally. She offers a guide for the year and a Gregorian chant download to add to one’s quiet contemplation. Sister Joan has written many books and is on the speaker’s circuit regularly, but she’s a practicing oblate of monastic life. Stillness and contemplation are a definite part of her life.
Just today an opportunity for another path arrived – a birthday present from the other daughter: Richard Rohr’s Daily Devotionals, Yes, And… This Franciscan friar started the Center for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico. He offers a wonderful ecumenical view of spirituality, embracing and working with all faiths and addressing the challenging issues of today in an open-minded and prayerful way.
Clearly, I have plenty of paths to take on this Lent journey. But am I piling on too much, which I always tend to do. Will I falter or, God forbid, give up. During a phone chat with my sister, she reminded me that if we think we fail or come up short in our Lenten intentions, we should remind ourselves that Jesus fell three times on his path to Calvary. The main point, I remind myself, is to start, then try to have enough discipline to actually follow through and travel the paths with intention. Certainly I want a spiritual bent to my attempts. But there are also plenty of secular opportunities for denial and discipline. Even Good Housekeeping magazine offered 35 suggestions on what to do for Lent. Things like giving up social media or online shopping. Writing a note of gratitude to someone. Even trying to stop biting your nails!
So I’m on my way. Bible study sessions weekly; daily devotionals and seeking some quite time for prayer and reflection. But I’m weak. I reached for a glass of wine last night. Keep trying, Kate. Rather than piling it on, I need to think more about emptying out. And maybe that’s what the Lenten time is all about. Whether we connect to a certain religion, our spirituality or daily tasks, it can be an opportunity for some spring cleaning of our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. We clean out so we can make room. Make room for the quiet and the stillness may speak to you — loud and clear.
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