- Feb 5, 2002
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I had thought of Lent as the Church’s season for self-knowledge and the practices it encourages as the main way to know yourself as a sinner in need of God, but the Church always has a bigger toolset than I thought. She gives us other ways to see who we really are and how much we need God.
Beginning with “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return,” during Lent the Church says, “Just look at yourself,” in a more imperative way than she says it the rest of the year. She says it repeatedly and with unusual force because we only sporadically want to, because we know we won’t really like what we see.
In observing Lent the way the Church instructs us to, we proceed on the understanding that sin blinds us, and it especially blinds us to its place in our lives. We need to learn to see, and particularly to see ourselves, more clearly, through more intense self-examination, disciplines like prayer, study and almsgiving, and use of the sacraments.
The Church says, “Just look at yourself,” with the assumption that when we look honestly, we won’t really like what we see, and that new clarity will drive us to Jesus for forgiveness and help in being better. And that works, more or less, within the severe limits of fallen humanity.
But unfortunately, even with all the help Lent gives us, we see ourselves more badly than we can imagine and we resist seeing better. We need more help.
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
Beginning with “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return,” during Lent the Church says, “Just look at yourself,” in a more imperative way than she says it the rest of the year. She says it repeatedly and with unusual force because we only sporadically want to, because we know we won’t really like what we see.
In observing Lent the way the Church instructs us to, we proceed on the understanding that sin blinds us, and it especially blinds us to its place in our lives. We need to learn to see, and particularly to see ourselves, more clearly, through more intense self-examination, disciplines like prayer, study and almsgiving, and use of the sacraments.
The Church says, “Just look at yourself,” with the assumption that when we look honestly, we won’t really like what we see, and that new clarity will drive us to Jesus for forgiveness and help in being better. And that works, more or less, within the severe limits of fallen humanity.
But unfortunately, even with all the help Lent gives us, we see ourselves more badly than we can imagine and we resist seeing better. We need more help.
Continued below.
To know yourself better, get to know the saints
After Lent, the Church still calls us to self-knowledge — through reflection and friendship with the saints, who show us who we are.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
