A young woman prays during Ash Wednesday Mass at Jesus the Divine Word Church in Huntingtown, Md., in this March 6, 2019, file photo. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)
Feb 22 2023
“What should I do for Lent?” That’s the wrong question. Rather, it is not the first question we should ask. It is the last one. Let me explain.
At several points in the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius Loyola asks us to “pray for a grace.” We are asking God for something. Before asking God, we need to clarify, “What exactly do I want?” It is not an easy question. It requires reflection, honesty and humility. Fortunately, God wants to help us. During the first week of the 30-day retreat, Ignatius invites us to pray for the grace “to overcome oneself and order one’s life” (No. 21). After this, he proposes several spiritual exercises that will help me to receive this grace. These exercises include fasting, acknowledging my own sins and meditating before Christ on the cross. Notice that he starts with the grace and then moves toward action.
Maybe I am feeling stressed and exhausted. A busy Christmas season led into a busy start of the year, and I have not slowed down. This Lent I am seeking peace. Or maybe I am falling into laziness and sloth. I am overeating, binge-watching and slacking off on my duties in school or work or family. Maybe I fell into some bad habits during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Now I am seeking a renewed sense of discipline and purpose in the Lord.
Asking for a grace demands that I engage in personal reflection, or an Ignatian examen. I am looking into my heart with God’s help. What is happening? How am I doing? What do I need? It is like going to a doctor’s appointment with the Divine Heart Doctor, Jesus. “What seems to be the trouble here?”
For further reading, please click – https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/02/16/what-lent-give
