We are to look WITHIN our hearts to see what lies in this center of our beings. Lent is the journey that leads us into the uncharted regions where painful truths must be exposed by the Light of God’s Grace. This Lenten journey is always, must always, be accompanied by the “light” of God’s presence. To face the darknesses within: envy, bitterness, anger, lust, hypocrisy, pride.... we need the light, God’s light. Love.
We were created by God in His own image and likeness to help the garden stay luscious and beautiful. Deep, deep within the hearts of Adam and Eve lay the ability to make a choice, an ultimate and life changing choice, to let God be God. But just as important, to remember who created us from nothing, making us TOTALLY dependent on God. The ultimate choice was to become God, our own God, severing our dependency upon our Creator, causing the greatest rupture within humanity, within each and every heart. Our world and our hearts remained under the constraints of this deep wound of choice... until Christ.
Christ is our way out. Christ is our healing. Christ lives WITHIN our hearts, side by side, with the darkness. Christ is waiting.... waiting.... waiting... for us to “let Him in,” He who is already there!!!!! Lent is the sacred season of reckoning, of giving Christ free reign to walk within wounded and dark places, healing, tilling the soil, recreating the garden of our original creation. Lent is the return to the Garden.... within every heart...
Peace,
Fr. Frank