Reflection for Thursday of the First Week of Lent

Today's Mass Readings

People on pilgrimage look out for one another. In ancient times, pilgrims to the Holy Land or other holy sites did not have a comfortable journey, but faced suffering along the way: lack of food, housing, and safety, and the weariness of walking on foot became part of their prayer experience. They shared their common effort and supported one another.

We are on pilgrimage in this season of Lent. We are not “on the road” with the physical sufferings of ancient times, but we have the sense of moving with others to a common goal. This common goal encourages us to examine the deepest values and reasons for going forward.

If you have the luxury of belonging to a faith-sharing group such as a prayer group, or a spiritual study group, or an oblate or associate group, the trust level will eventually rise to talk about one’s approach to prayer. This involves the common elements of prayer but also our personal relationship with God. Our particular situation with all the dynamics of need, sorrow, joy, gratitude, and hope shape the way we receive the gift of God’s loving presence.

Lent, like the pilgrimages of old, is meant to be a “full-body” immersion in the experience of prayer. This is the time to examine our usual approach to prayer. With the help of others “on the road,” we can take a closer look at what it means to pray. Is prayer only something we “ought” to do as a daily obligation? Or can prayer be an outward (and inner) expression of our most profound awareness of being God’s beloved before the face of our faithful and merciful Lord? Sometimes the intensity of our needs and feelings seems to generate prayer, and yet it is the Spirit of God helping us to find the words that describe the situation.

Reflect on today’s liturgical readings. Could Queen Esther have prayed so deeply were it not for her trusting relationship with God? In the Gospel, Jesus makes the same point. How could we doubt that our loving Father understands and responds to our true needs with an abundance beyond our comprehension?

Here’s a thought for you: if we hope to grow closer to the Lord on our Lenten journey, how should we expect our experience of prayer to grow?

Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB