“The purpose Lent is…above all, a preparation to rejoice in His love. And this preparation consists in receiving the gift of His mercy–a gift which we receive insofar as we open our hearts to it, casting out what cannot remain in the same room with mercy. Now one of the things we must cast out first of all is fear. Fear narrows the little entrance of our heart. It shrinks up our capacity to love. It freezes up our power to give ourselves…”
Thomas Merton in Lent and Easter Wisdom (Liguori, MO: Liguori, 2007) 6.
Abiding in Christ and rejoicing in His love requires us to let go of that which hinders our capacity to dwell in Him. I am not trying to be esoteric here but profoundly sincere. If we live as though we are “fine” (a.k.a. freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional), then the Lenten journey will be nothing more than deeds done in the flesh that will weary us.
If, alternatively, we invite our Lord to pour out His mercy upon us, and if we let go of our fears, then we become people who can give, love, and serve like Christ. I have found the first step to living in this reality is understanding this. Living it out is only possible with God’s grace. God, fill us with your mercy and help us release our fears, empowered by your grace.
In the words of St. Patrick, “Christ be with you, Christ be behind you, Christ be beside you, and Christ be within you,” each step of your journey.