February 2020: Renewed in Spirit

When I was growing up, we never owned a new car. My parents could not afford one. Instead, I remember going with my father to the used car lots of new car dealerships, walking up and down the rows to find that “deal” – a car that was in good shape, practical, and within my parent's budget. Being a mechanic, you can imagine that my dad “kicked the tires” pretty well to be sure we had dependable transportation. The exciting part of the process was realizing that each car was one-of-a-kind, with its own color, styling, driving history, and other minor evidences of wear-and-tear. We kept our cars well beyond their estimable years, such that I can only remember my father and mother owning three cars from the 1950s to the 1970s before my dad passed away. So, when we brought our used car home, it was new to us.

 

Something reminded me about our family car experience that I cannot recall; however, I was searching for a way to write about Lent from a fresh perspective. And my remembrances about the excited feeling of buying something that was new to us but used by someone else produced the thought that the Season of Lent is like the used car, in a sense. The season has been “used” before – over and over – each year since I was able to understand the meaning of the season. So, how do I make this Lent, 2020, seem new? How do I get excited about it?

 

First, I have to think about the opportunity that time gives us. There will never be another Lent, 2020, just as that perfect used car is the only one like it on the lot. Second, I have to scrutinize how I plan to use each of the forty days of the season, much like my father checked thoroughly under the hood and made sure everything was in working order. Third, I have to recognize that Lent provides “reliable transportation,” an opportunity to be more in touch with our creating God, and a time to “let go and let God” – let God be in charge of the test drive, so to speak! Finally, I have to appreciate the newness of the Lent that I take home, so that when I do arrive at the Triduum of Holy Week and the Easter season, I can feel the excitement and the love of God’s promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

 

I pray that you will consider ways to make this Lent a unique and special opportunity to grow deeper in faith, to be renewed in spirit, and to be joyful and excited with the anticipation of something new and renewed coming into your life. Happy Lent!