Happy Lent to you all! Or should I say, happy prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to you all. And then maybe remove the “happy” as I know I, for one, wasn’t happy about bypassing the scrumptious-looking strawberry cheesecake at lunch yesterday. Anyhow, this week brought us into the first few of many dessert-days…excuse me, I’m thinking about dessert again. That’s desert-days, rather. As in the 40 days of prayer and fasting leading up to our joyful celebration of Christ’s resurrection. It’s great that we will be spiritual companions and will not dessert one another in the hour of need. Again, forgive my wandering mind as it thinks about days of yore which were filled with chocolate….we will not *desert one another in the hour of need. I blame Irish desserts for being so darn tasty!
We had a few of the “usuals” this week, including You Shall Be My Witnesses (the Confirmation programme), multiple music rehearsals for the several choirs in which we take part (Folk Group, Family Liturgy Group, Youth Choir, and Vigil Choir), masses, music planning, and an ever-delicious lunch at Fr. Denis’. During lent, there will be a few extras, including Stations of the Cross, a couple of prayer services, Confirmation choir rehearsals, and Centering prayer, to name a few. I think if our variety of ministries were ice cream toppings and we ordered the “usual” at an ice cream parlor, they would run out of toppings. But we are happy to be a part of all the wonderful happenings at the church as well as in the schools.
Speaking of wonderful happenings, on Ash Wednesday, we were able to go into the schools for some small prayer services and ashes distribution. It was a very new experience for me, but it was lovely! And also very neat to see lots of foreheads displaying the same symbol of our faith. Nicole and I ventured to Kennedy Park and held a few services for some of the older classes before popping into the younger students’ classrooms with our ashes in hand. We spoke about the season of lent and about realizing that we are human and thus, we make mistakes from time to time. But thankfully, God is good and merciful and always forgives us despite our sinfulness. When we think about it, the ashes symbolize several things, including a reminder of how frail and fragile we are. We are dust and to dust we shall return.
Another great blessing of this season is the opportunity to put on a Passion Play in Clonard. The very first one ever! We’ve had lots of people volunteer their time and talent to fill singing and acting roles, to help with costuming, sets, lighting, sound and dessert at every rehearsal……well, maybe not that last one. That’s just my subconscious wishing away again….We are deep in the rehearsal process, and I would bet my bottom–umm–euro that it will be a beautiful performance and way to enter into Holy Week. And if anyone has a few extra tenors on hand, perhaps you could lent them to me for a few weeks?
It’s been a great lenten practice to give of our time in all the ways that we have during the past few months. And to resolve to be present to the people in the church and schools when we need to be. Yoda (from Star Wars) said, “there is do and there is do not. There is no ‘try’.” I think this is a good bit of wisdom to bring with us into lent, as we fast, pray, and give. If we resolve to do something, be something, or give/give up something, I think Yoda has the right philosophy about it. And who ever said you couldn’t learn anything from Star Wars?
So, here’s to wishing you a good “do” or “do not” this Lenten season. May the force (of God) be with you. And may you have extra desserts on my behalf. That is, if you didn’t give them up. I mean, someone has to take care of all that chocolate out there lest our planet starts overflowing with heaps of decadent treats without me. 😉
God bless!
