While revisiting some of the blogs I have often linked here during previous seasons of Advent or Lenten blogging here at Lent & Beyond, I came across an absolutely AWESOME post with an overview of Lent by Jeanne at At A Hen’s Pace. Jeanne writes to explain why Lent is “Not just for Catholics.”
The whole blog entry is “MUST READING” for its wisdom and perspective on this holy season. But I particularly loved her reflection on Pentitence.
[Lent] is also a season of penitence. What does that mean?Many think it means you focus on your sins for 6 weeks, and I have probably erred that way myself. It can easily devolve into self-improvement, like New Year’s resolutions. I think what it really means, though, is that as you intentionally pare back, by fasting, you become more aware of your fleshly desires, and how you are tempted to make excuses for them and rationalize your choices. You realize how weak you really are, and how much you need God. You realize how much we buy into the ”feed all cravings” message of our culture, and how hard it is to resist that. You discover you’re not as strong, as wise, as self-sufficient or as virtuous as you think, and in humility, you repent from your inflated self-image.That’s penitence. It’s not self-flagellation, it’s self-realization in the presence of God. He rights our image of ourselves. We are not lowly worms in his presence, but we realize that what we are–righteous, justified–we are by grace alone, not by our own strength, wisdom, provision or goodness. We realize anew that sin is not something to wink at, and not to be excused with the rationalization that it’s all been paid for already. Recognition of our sinful nature works humility into us–and it’s about the only way that we can gain this essential Christian virtue.
Did you catch that? Let’s read one more time the insight that I think SO profound & helpful:
[Pentitence] is not self-flagellation, it’s self-realization in the presence of God. He rights our image of ourselves. We are not lowly worms in his presence, but we realize that what we are–righteous, justified–we are by grace alone, not by our own strength, wisdom, provision or goodness. We realize anew that sin is not something to wink at, and not to be excused with the rationalization that it’s all been paid for already.
