Taking up writing for Lent
We find ourselves again this year in the (seemingly) awkward season of pre-Lent: the three weeks whose Sundays on the church calendar have very strange sounding names (Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima) and which are not familiar to many growing up in a post Vatican II world. For those of us who follow the historic, ancient church calendar, these Sundays form a turning point and time of preparation for the austerity of Lent.
In these weeks the tone of the divine service changes from the celebratory tone of Christmas and Epiphany to a more somber tone, focusing on sin, helplessness, trust in God alone, and our need for salvation. Through the propers (introit, collect/prayer of the day, gradual), we are weaned gradually from the party of the nativity into the seriousness and sobriety of another Lenten season.
For many, Lent is a season of giving up things, specifically giving up things that draw us away from our relationship with Christ. We do well to mortify our flesh, master our bodies, and put off things that hinder our Christian walk. At the same time, we do well to establish new habits and new disciplines that positively draw us closer to Christ. For me, writing is one of those habits. Writing is how I think things through, consider problems, and ponder important things. The discipline of sitting down to write forces me to arrange my sometimes-random thoughts, corral my racing mind, cease from mindless scrolling, and focus awhile on the topic at hand. Writing is very much a positive discipline for me.
During this season of Lent, I endeavor to write more, to focus more, to think more, to create more…and to do less mindless things that squander the precious gift that every day is. Life is far too short and precious to waste. Carpe diem is spot on.