We wrote to a cross section of people in the church—lay women, lay men, seminarians, religious, priests—to tell us what Lent means to them. Here is what they told us. After reading their testimonies, try writing down what Lent means to you. To be true to Jesus’ teaching, it has to be much more than a change of diet.
Focus: God’s Mercy—Not My Failures
This Lent, I really want to focus on God’s mercy and forgiveness. It may sound like a cliché, but we often find it hard to believe in God’s mercy; sometimes our whole focus is on our own efforts and our righteousness. I think the truth is: Nothing is easier in all the world than attaining forgiveness from God. This is the biggest truth that we have to believe. God is more eager to give forgiveness than we are to receive it. Many refuse to believe this. I constantly brood over how miserable and wretched I have been, wishing I had never sinned, wishing I had always kept a clean sheet.
For Jesus, even though to sin is the greatest evil, to be a sinner is a value. Hate sin with all your heart and avoid it. But, if I have sinned and repented, then I have reasons to rejoice, because there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
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