© Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence
Lent Letter 2024
Lent, 2024
Dear Sisters and Associates,
They say in the game of life, timing is everything. Satan thought it was good timing, coming to Jesus after he had spent forty days and nights fasting in the wilderness. Jesus must have been exhausted, hungry, and alone. Surely the devil thought Jesus would be a perfect victim – but the devil’s timing was really off!
What about our timing this Lent? Will we begin, like Jesus, with a time of contemplative silence in the desert? Will we take time to prepare for some radical change in ourselves? We humans usually like things the way we like things…we are creatures of habit. And yet, each Lent we are given the opportunity to ponder anew our life, our vision, our longing for the Lord. Pope Francis says, “We have to learn how to dialogue, how to forgive, how to trust, and how to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
We enter the Lenten season early this year. In mid-winter, here in the Northern hemisphere, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day in the USA – typically the celebration of hearts and love. Will our focus be on hearts or ashes? Maybe it should be on both. Certainly, we begin this time of Lent by receiving ashes and promising ourselves to change, to spend more time in prayer, in spiritual reading, in service of others. (Prayer, fasting, almsgiving—what we have learned over the years).
Lent is a time to return to God with all one’s heart. It’s a time of yearning to begin again, to seek forgiveness, and to experience the tender understanding of a God that loves us beyond our wildest dreams. As I wrote in the recent Global Connections article, “our God is a God of overwhelming, undeserving, reckless love” for us. That kind of unconditional, generous love of God for each of us can spill over not only in our lives, but through us to the vulnerable ones we meet along the way. This year, as we celebrate the beginning of Lent and the feast of love, Valentine’s Day, may we also consider how we can reach out and share God’s goodness with others and with our world. The timing is definitely now. Our world is being devastated by wars, poverty, hunger, hateful speech, and leaders who seem to be concerned only about their “kingdoms.” But Jesus tells us to change and accept the kingdom of God, which is what’s good for the whole of humanity. Jesus tells us frequently, “the reign of God is at hand.” Aren’t we, as Providence people, being called to use this time now—for change, for justice, for peacemaking?
My dad played basketball in high school and also loved to watch professional games. He often used the game as a metaphor for a lesson he wanted to share. One such lesson was timing is everything. He explained that in life, like in basketball, things can change quickly, partly because there are three-point shots, partly because of the last second foul shots, or perhaps because of the height of players who can dunk from the free-throw line. In other words, the score, the balance of power, can change in an instant. Two minutes left on the clock in a basketball game seem like an eternity. Games can be won or lost in those last two minutes. That’s why, even if a team is down by 20 points, there’s still a chance. It’s nail-biting, blood-pressure-raising moments like these that become not a test of skill, but the moment that timing becomes everything.
So, is our timing off or on? Are we about ashes or hearts – or both? Are we willing to change so that we can become freer and more dynamic as a congregation? The Spirit is speaking to us and, hopefully, our hearts are listening. Lent is our graced opportunity to walk individually and communally, together, seeking God’s will for our future – as a congregation moving toward oneness – for a world in dire need of hope and healing. In our justice making as God’s people, we will be the face of Providence in our world.
May the timing in these six weeks of Lent be filled with abundant blessings!
Sr. Barbara McMullen
Congregational Leader