Psalm Reflection: The Third Sunday of Lent - Cycle C

“The Lord is kind and merciful.”- Psalm 103

Lent probably looks very weird to the outside world. In our preparation for Easter—not just a day, but a season of joy—we mark our excitement and reverence by practices that can make it seem as though we are punishing ourselves. On top of that, you might feel like you deserve to be punished and use Lent as a way to try and appear "worthy" before God or earn His love.

These views of the season of Lent can be very damaging and destructive, both to others and to ourselves. They can mistakenly present a picture of God as a vengeful dictator in the sky who demands our mortification and sacrifice to appease His just punishments. Thankfully, that is not who God is, nor is it what the season of Lent is about.

We are reminded by the Psalmist this week that the Lord is kind and merciful. He is not a merciless judge waiting to condemn us the moment we sin or make a mistake. He is a loving father who wants nothing more than for us to experience true freedom, love, healing, restoration, peace, and joy.

Lent is a season during which we refrain from or remove the things that stand in the way of us receiving those gifts from God. We seek to remove the obstacles that prevent us from being in deeper relationship with Him in the first place. Lent is about saying no to the things that are not good for us so that we can become more like God in whose image and likeness we are created (Genesis 1:26-27).

Maybe you began the season of Lent by treating it like a second chance at your New Year's resolutions, focusing more on what you could give up to create more time for your own pursuits or to create better habits for you in order to lose weight. Those things, though they are not bad in and of themselves, make Lent more about us and less about God. It is not too late to call an audible this Lent and change what you are committing to or refraining from. 

What if, instead of asking "how can I look, feel, or be better on Easter morning?”, we asked, "what can I do or stop doing to be more kind and merciful Easter morning than I am today?” This is the heart of the spirituality of Lent: to help us draw into deeper relationship with God and allow that to overflow into our lives so that we can become more like Him: kind and merciful.

This week, reflect on your Lenten commitments of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Ask yourself, "are these more about me and how I look or appear to others, or are these about my relationship with God and what I feel He is calling me to do?” And if they are more about you, do not be afraid to change course. Remember, the Israelites wandered through the desert for 40 years, so we also have permission to wander and take unexpected turns these 40 days of Lent.

Ask God to reveal to you the areas of your heart that need work in order to be the person He is calling you to be and to deepen your relationship with Him. Have the fortitude to take action and change it up so your Lent can be abundantly fruitful. 

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt