From Richard Rohr’s, Wondrous Encounters, Scripture for Lent
Welcome to a different kind of Lent. Often, we treat these forty days as a spiritual boot camp for willpower. But Richard Rohr invites us in Wondrous Encounters to something much deeper: an opportunity to dismantle the ‘false self’ and encounter the Divine in the wilderness. This season, we aren’t just giving things up; we are letting go of the illusions that keep us from true freedom. Join us over the next forty days as we journey through Scripture, allowing our hearts to be ‘cleared out’ for a new kind of love.
- Transformation, Not Just Changes: Rohr argues Lent is about fundamental conversion, not just minor behavioral adjustments.
- The “Way Down”: He teaches that we must stop trying to “climb” or prove ourselves and instead embrace descent, humility, and solidarity with the human condition, trusting that God lifts us up in due time.
- Surrender vs. Control: Traditional fasting can become an ego-driven attempt to control God. True Lenten sacrifice is about letting go of the ego’s need for control.
- Two Key Moments: Lent balances recognizing our absolute value as God’s creation while humbling acknowledging our “small self” and limitations.
- Wondrous Encounters: His approach, detailed in Wonderous Encounters, focuses on using daily Scripture to foster a personal encounter with the Divine.
A Lenten Prayer
Fasting and Feasting
Fast from hatred and feast on liking and loving.
Fast from anger and feast on patience, acceptance and peace.
Fast from self-rejection and feast on being yourself, simply and truthfully.
Fast from chaos and feast on living in ordinary and quiet time.
Fast from darkness and despair and feast on light and hope.
Fast from resentment and a clenched fist and feast on letting go and letting God.
Fast from anger and feast on patience, acceptance and peace.
Fast from self-rejection and feast on being yourself, simply and truthfully.
Fast from chaos and feast on living in ordinary and quiet time.
Fast from darkness and despair and feast on light and hope.
Fast from resentment and a clenched fist and feast on letting go and letting God.
Fast from being a victim and feast on being a good Samaritan.
Fast from indifference and feast on caring and compassion.
Fast from hurting and feast on healing yourself and others.
Fast from giving-up or giving in and feast on giving to…
Fast from words that are mean and feast on words that are gentle.
Fast from thoughts and actions that are negative and feast on that all that is positive.
Fast from all that separates you from God and feast on the Holy within you
Fast from indifference and feast on caring and compassion.
Fast from hurting and feast on healing yourself and others.
Fast from giving-up or giving in and feast on giving to…
Fast from words that are mean and feast on words that are gentle.
Fast from thoughts and actions that are negative and feast on that all that is positive.
Fast from all that separates you from God and feast on the Holy within you
Amen
Sr. Elaine Deasy, R.S.M.
