Monastic spirituality says we are to honor one another. We are to listen to one another. ~ Sr. Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict
When thinking about writing a series of devotions for Lent, my first thought was of the wilderness. After all, Lent is wilderness season: a season of wandering, a season marked by simplicity and fasting, of burying the alleluias, a season where it is tempting to ask, “Are we there yet?” as we make our way toward the promised land of Easter. But Lent isn’t a season we travel alone. Like the Hebrew people wandering the desert for forty years as a community, we spend forty days wandering through Lent with our communities of faith, our households and sometimes even friends across the globe.
This is why I decided to begin each day’s meditation with wisdom and inspiration from our monastic siblings. The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Saint Benedict, Saint Augustine, Saint Francis, Saint Hildegard, Sr. Joan Chittister and Thomas Merton were (and are) just ordinary humans traveling an ordinary human journey, together and alone. Their writings and biographies reflect the challenges of living a common life committed to Christ, anchored by spiritual practices such as stillness, silence, fasting, self~reflection, mutual listening and service. Practices are often thwarted or tested by the conflicts and pressures of living in community.
We all live in community. True, most of us don’t live in monasteries or desert communes, but we live in households and families; we are a part of churches, schools and workplaces. Following Jesus together and in the midst of each other is essential to becoming a beloved community, and it is often frustrating, which is why the words and teachings of the monastics are helpful. They remind us that we are not alone in our experiences; they give us words and tools to bring us together in a shared wholeness as we seek to spread the hope and healing of an Easter life.
For Reflection
Whose words or example encourages you as you strive to love as Jesus loves us?
To receive these mediations in your inbox please visit Episcopal Relief and Development
For more resources please visit The Episcopal Church in Colorado Lent Formation Resources (These resources include Lenten meditations and activities for different age groups and interests.)