Lent 2026. I really wanted write 25 !!!!! This 2026, is triggering some really indescribable spiritual movements. I have learned the hard lesson, that is the process of acceptance. I am struggling with this, post-graduate immersion.
Our Lenten-desert experience is winding down. We must always remember Lent was seen, by the early church, as a time of retreat. Retreat for the Catechumens and for the faith communities they had chosen to enter. These faith communities are challenged to be again, converted. Old answers will not satisfy the questioning minds of the, 2026 converts. These are new and challenging times. Trite answers will only lead to, disillusionment. SAD ?? These two essential essential elements of Lent, have not changed, over the centuries. Neglected ? sadly, YES.
We are all, again, invited by The Holy Spirit to enter a time of spiritual honesty and conversion.. Those in recovery are very well acquainted with the essential, for their trudge, "honesty, open-mindedness and willingness". Daily practice and participation in those, will lead to sanity, sobriety, and serenity". The desert of encounter, transformation, and transfiguration, is a challenging place of silence, emptiness, and nothingness. Doe that mean there is nothing happening ? That there is a Loving, Gentle Power, noiselessly working to slowly trigger the awakening of an aspect of the true self that was hidden, neglected, and or, deliberately ignored. Ignored, because of the pressures, both internal and external imposed on our, isolated, fear-filled false self. The Holy Spirit sees that an awakening is called for, so The Spirit's plan for the cosmos, can be realized. See how much power we have been, freely gifted with ? We can, and do frustrate the original plan. Plan "B" has to be relied upon.
The false self sees very few options that will lead to freedom. Freedom to say no to The Father of Lies, and prosecutions. Freedom to shout out a resounding, NO, to the hellish life of deception, and pain filled nonentity. Free to enter the river of the beloved, to be carried effortlessly by a Love that was always present, empowering us to exit the crucible of abandonment, suffering and terror. Lent reveals The Only One, Who has the power to confront, The Liar, with The Living Truth, because He is The Infinite, Eternal Truth, Who has made a home in our depths. The Power, celebrating, in the tabernacle within, gently works to awakened, us all, again and again. These awakenings slowly lays the foundation of a living, loving relationship that cannot be compromised or negated. All healthy relationships can only progress an ever deeper, and ever deepening intimacy. This is the real truth, the stepping stone to real freedom. This is essential it is only when fear is challenged, fearlessly encountered, CAN there be intimacy. On author was given to write, " raw, naked fear, is the last hurdle to be cleared, on the way to true intimacy."
Reading and rereading the gospels for Lent have you connected with The Woman at The Well, The Blind Man, and the account of Lazarus, being resuscitated.Have you found they each trigger a connection with something inside, that we cannot express in thought or word ? This silent dynamic is what is powering our new awarenesses. We come to accept those are not events of 2,00 years ago. They are yours and mine, in the sacrament of this present moment. In this now moment they are speaking to us. Silently, and gently bringing the reluctant, private, person within, to an encounter with the present understandings of Jesus, Who became The Christ of God. One who is thirsting, suffering blindness, and is experiencing at a level of death which is very unsettling, and disturbing, yet !!, and has the power to rewaken and renew. Reflect again on how the three are encountered and treated by The Christ, with whom there gradually brought to faith. Does this process provide some unseen balm, leading to serenity, peace, and wellbeing ? A deepening appreciated of the workings of Mysterious Grace ????
How or where do you see yourself in the progressions, the evolutions that were the experience of The Woman, and The Blind Man, Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and the witnessing community ?? There is no time and space when it come to the spiritual journey, and spiritual realities. That means all the above are within you, in your here and now, to be discovered, and become your teachers. We have, The Christ, making a home in the tabernacle of the true self. We are always being led to ever new awakenings. Where do you see yourself encountering Christ's presence in every reality, in the unique life you are being gifted with ?
To summarize, this has been a very finite effort designed to trigger, IF CHOSEN, a reawakening. A reawakening to the essential surrender to the mysterious movements, silent workings of The Holy Spirit. Leading from thirsting, blindness, and Paschal deaths, to....... ??? I do not have a clue ???? Blessings on the mysterious journey your are being led on, one step, one moment. Gramps.
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