Living Lent

Dear Brothers,

“What are you giving up for Lent?”

It’s the familiar question that many of us heard growing up and perhaps still do today. At this time of year, attempting to center ourselves on what is essential in our lives can simply revolve around what we decide not to eat.

The CAC offers alternative perspectives on this tradition. One of them squarely challenges the conventional notion of fasting itself. Fr. Richard’s recent daily meditation tells us that our food-related choices may not take us where we truly need or desire to go: “In Isaiah 58:1-9a, Isaiah explicitly says that God prefers a kind of fasting which changes our actual lifestyle and not just punishes our body.” (From Fr. Richard’s new book, Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent, pp. 18-19)

In this edition of the Drumbeat, we’ve included a short video reflection by MALEs Weaver Fr. Jim Clarke that expands on the idea of fasting. Fr. Jim’s talk approaches it as a practice that can and should go deeper into the various settings in which we live our daily lives.

In addition, the CAC offers this year’s online Lenten series on "Food as Holy Provision." This offering retains a focus on food, but challenges us to enter into a much more mindful relationship with and awareness of what we eat, the means by which food is grown and transported to our kitchen tables, and the farmers and laborers who make that possible.

This Lent, may each of us make deeper choices to, as Fr. Richard says, live ourselves into new ways of thinking and honoring what is essential.

Blessings,

Matt