The 22 word in my Lent lexicon is:
REMEMBER.
As well as being a practical tool to help us organise our days and our thoughts our memories help shape and define who we are. Moses reminds the people of this in today’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy:
“Take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children.”
His words are much more than a reminder to keep the laws and customs that God has laid down for them on their journey through the desert. They are a call on a much deeper level to remember that they are a people chosen by God, loved by God and held in being by God. His words call them to remember they are formed and shaped by a sacred relationship.
These words have a particular resonance for us in Lent. It’s a time for going back to our roots. It has its own rules and regulations, customs and practices that shape the time for us. However, important as those are they are not the essence of Lent. Lent is a time when, like the Israelites in the desert, we are called to remember who we truly are.
It’s a time to remember that we are called into relationship with the God of love. We are called to allow that love to form our lives and our relationships. It’s a time to remember and rediscover our true selves. Lent calls us to remember once again the person God calls us to be.
What is the essential thing God is calling you to remember this Lent?