Once a week, I take Buddy, my 150-pound Newfoundland, to the
dog park in Breckenridge and let him run. He enjoys chasing other dogs who are
chasing balls. He has such a look of joy to be free of his leash. It fills my
heart.
At 8 a.m. Wednesday, I
will serve as a Eucharistic minister for the Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Mary’s. This
Mass signals the start of our 40 days of Lent, a sacred journey that leads us
to the holiest date in our liturgical year, the Easter vigil.
I’ve had an unintentional
relationship with Lent. Until last year, giving up something, such as
chocolate, felt like a sacrifice without meaning.
We are told to “deny
ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus.” But what does it mean to
fast as Jesus fasted when he went into the desert for 40 days, the journey we
are meant to replicate during Lent?
What is the purpose of
our sacrifice? I believe it is not an act of random denial but can be a bold
declaration of freedom and trust in God.
Last year, I gave up
alcohol, specifically my nightly consumption of red wine, for Lent. To be
honest, I’d made the same sacrifice in previous years and never lasted more
than a week.
But last year was
different. I actually stuck with it for the entire 40 days. And it completely
changed my relationship with alcohol.
I will give up red
wine once again this year, but I’m doing it with a new understanding of what it
means to sacrifice for our 40-day journey into the wilderness with Christ.
I believe when we make
this choice, being completely honest with ourselves and with God, the thing we
choose will be one that is an impediment in our relationship with God, our
relationship with our family or friends or with ourselves.
God doesn’t need our
sacrifice, but he appreciates our willingness to set aside anything that blocks
our view of him. To do so isn’t always easy. It does require that we trust that
God’s plan is better than our own, that God will strengthen us when we are
tempted to succumb.
The three temptations
offered to Christ provide important examples of finding meaning in denial. Jesus
spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying, denying the self on one hand
of food but on the other hand removing himself from society, focusing his mind
and spirit on the three-year ministry he was about to begin.
At the end of 40 days,
Jesus was offered three things that can inhibit a closer relationship with God.
First he’s offered food and drink, something intended to nourish our bodies,
but when consumed in excess, can do the opposite.
Second Jesus was
offered a promise of safety. How often do we allow worry about the future to
envelop our lives? How do we learn to plan for the future and trust God at the
same time?
The third and final temptation
was the allure of power. How often do we allow our desire for popularity or the
need to fit in sway our choices and tempt us to keep up with the crowd?
During our annual 40-day
journey of Lent, we are asked to accompany Christ. Perhaps it would better if
we asked Jesus to accompany us as we enter our spiritual wilderness, to guide
us through the shadows.
God made each of us
with a unique purpose. But choices we’ve made along the way might have clouded
our understanding of our true identity. Lent is the perfect time to free
ourselves from whatever is obscuring our vision.
Our experience of Lent
will be different from year to year. We are in a different place in our spiritual
journey than we were last year. So each year, we are asked to pay attention again.
Lent is the perfect time for prayerful reflection, asking God to renew his
purpose for us.
If we enter these 40
days with the intention to draw closer to God, to be willing to let go in order
to find freedom, I believe we will find ourselves transformed. Be brave, my
friend.
Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson’s column “Walking our Faith” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Anderson is the author of 10 novels and nonfiction books on faith. She has lived in Breckenridge since 2016. Contact her at suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com.