A Year of Lent and Beyond

 

     Benedict says to his followers, “The life of a monastic ought to be a continuous Lent but since few have the strength for this “and he proceeds to describe how the forty days of Lent are to be observed. It seems, as a community we met a year of a continuous Lent. I suppose this is also true for much of the world. For us, there has been fasting, not necessarily from food, but fasting from being with family, friends, guests, fasting from vacations, time away, outings, shopping, or going out for a meal.  There were many large and small sacrifices that went into our attempts to keep the community safe.

     No one in the community has a memory that in our past we ever had to cease praying together in our chapel, that is, until COVID struck us. For two weeks we prayed the office privately, certainly not a Benedictine practice. Though I have cherished communal prayer, one result of this separation, is a greater mindful appreciation of the need to gather together in prayer with the community. Especially now there are so many current reasons: grief for the loss of our sisters; lamenting the pandemic and other challenges facing our world; being mindful and vigilant for not only our needs but the needs of all persons; and, of course, to praise our loving God on whom we rely to carry us through these hard days. Truly, the psalms, the heart of the liturgy of the hours describe the human condition, and our dependence on God to help us through all the struggles and complexities that as humans we experience. A paraphrase of psalm 51, poignantly pleads with God during these times; wash me, cleanse me, heal me, create a new heart within me, and restore the joy of God’s salvation.

     May this ongoing Lent bring about a transfigured heart, a genuine reliance on God and a love for all creation.  

 Sister Aileen Bankemper, OSB