Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. (Lk 24:26)
Heading into Lent in 2022, we have one seeming advantage over the disciples who lived through it in real time – we know how the story ends. Yet, we often run the risk of a half-hearted Easter that celebrates the end of Lent rather than the joy of Resurrection. This year, let us choose to enter into that great joy.
The key to a great Lent is immersing ourselves in Scripture. The disciples on the road to Emmaus briefly lost hope after the crucifixion, but because their lives were rooted in the Scriptures, Jesus could reveal himself to them in a way that left their hearts burning with joy. In Lent, the Church continues this effort of Christ to open our minds to understand the Scriptures. This is the year to pick up the Roman Missal and dive in. There we will find that all the work is done for us. Right there, in order, day by day, hour by hour, are set down “the things about himself in all the scriptures.”
We actually could not come up with a better Scriptural reading plan ourselves. Why am I so sure of that? I am certain of it because grace flows through the liturgy as we celebrate the mysteries of the life of Jesus. In his book, Christ in His Mysteries, Blessed Columba Marmion explains that through the liturgy the mysteries of Jesus become our mysteries, springs of living water from which we are to drink. There is grace this year for each one of us in each mystery of the life of Jesus as they are set before us by the Church’s liturgy. The grace is both to know him and to become like him. We become by grace what he is by nature. His wisdom, his holiness, and his strength, become our wisdom, our holiness, our strength.
Where do we sign up? In our hearts. Just a simple, true word to Jesus. ‘Yes, I will follow you this Lent. I will come with you into the desert, I will listen deeply to every parable; listen with the ears of my heart to your every action. I will hang on every word of yours as you walk towards the cross, and let the magnitude of what you have done sink in as we wait in silence for the days of glory to dawn.‘
In practice, it is very simple, free, and accessible to all of us. There is no set method or technique. What matters most is that we open our hearts to receive what God is longing to give us. He has set his heart on us and is ready, waiting to reveal his love to us. On our part, let us give him the best part of our day, the time that we are most awake, alone and alert. Then, setting aside all distractions, we can simply ask the Holy Spirit to come as we open up the Scriptures the Church sets before us each day, trusting that we will receive the grace of each mystery.
If we faithfully commit ourselves to this Lenten journey with the Word, we will find ourselves at Easter sharing the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus: ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ (Lk 24:32)
Daily Scriptures: https://melbournecatholic.org/connect/daily-mass-readings
Author: Sr Mary Helen, OP
