| A Liberal Catholic Lent The Most Reverend Bennett D. D. Burke Lent 2007 INTRODUCTION TO THE LIBERAL CATHOLIC LENT Traditionally, Christians have observed Lent as a time of sacrifice and suffering. Lenten disciplines have focused on giving up the things of the world – foods, addictions, habits, etc. – in remembrance of Jesus’ forty days of temptation and suffering in the wilderness. While sacrifice in the service of others certainly has redemptive power, Lent can also be a time of joyful reflection, learning, and service. By following the example and journey of Jesus, we can find for ourselves a path of spiritual renewal and greater faith. We can use this time not just to give up, but to take up – to take up the cross of Christ. This Lent, we can share His burden, and the burden of others who hunger and thirst. Serving in joy, we truly show our love. “Say, then, from the heart that you are the perfect day, and in you dwells the light that does not fail. Speak of the truth with those who search for it and of knowledge to those who have committed sin in their error. Make firm the foot of those who have stumbled and stretch out your hands to those who are ill. Feed those who are hungry and give repose to those who are weary, and raise up those who wish to rise, and awaken those who sleep. If strength acts thus, it becomes even stronger.” The Gospel of Truth, The Nag Hammadi Library INTRODUCTION TO THE LENTEN CALENDAR Spiritual seekers in modern America often struggle between rigid and outmoded religious practices on the one hand, and an “anything goes” approach on the other. Seeking to offer an alternative to these extremes, the Liberal Catholic Church combines the Catholic form of worship - its stately ritual, its deep mysticism, and its abiding witness to the reality of sacramental grace - with the widest measure of intellectual liberty and respect for the individual conscience. The Liberal Catholic Lenten calendar offers a 40-day structure of study, prayer, worship and service, designed to help us move closer to God, and to our neighbors. This approach follows closely our Lord’s admonition, when asked to name the greatest of the Ten Commandments, that we should “love God, and love our neighbors as ourselves.” When asked how to detect the sign of the Father in the truly faithful, Jesus said, in the Gospel of Thomas, to look for “movement and repose.” In that spirit, this calendar asks us to combine action and reflection. Reflections include readings, prayers, and attendance at special celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, including the beautiful and powerful four-day cycle of worship services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Actions include a chosen spiritual practice, and outreach to others in our families, churches, neighborhoods, and the world. The calendar also includes regular Saturday reflections on the Click here for page 2 |
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