Fr Mark Schultz

Dear Friend,

Our Lenten journey has begun! And as we “press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” as Paul exhorts us in his epistle today, as we commit ourselves to our Lenten rule (or embark on determining what that rule might be), as, full of bright resolve and fervent zeal, we endeavor to keep whatever rule we’ve fashioned…

…I think we need to pause for a moment, now, at the start of the Lenten season, and consider something:

Whatever our rule, chances are good that we’ll break it at some point, more likely at many points.

And here’s the thing. That’s really very okay! It’s nothing to get too upset about. Here’s why...

But first a little context: a rule is a series of spiritual disciplines, considered in aggregate, that we commit to keeping and that is meant to govern/regulate our life. The word “rule,” in fact, translates the Latin regula which means…to make regular! A rule is meant to articulate a standard to which our life and our prayer (because really our life is our prayer and vice versa) can reasonably conform. A rule is not a law. It’s a guide, not a taskmaster.

And here I’m channeling one of my favorite pastoral theologians, Martin Thornton: it turns out breaking the rule is an important part of what it means to keep the rule. It’s simply not the case that even a frequently broken rule is a useless rule—that’s not how a rule works. It’s only the broken and then abandoned rule that’s not useful. We speak of keeping a rule, not obeying it. A rule’s efficacy and virtue is revealed in the keeping of it, even in the breach: you can still keep a broken rule! At this point, it’s probably important for perspective to consider: your Lenten discipline won’t save your soul; whatever good thing you do, you can’t save your soul. Jesus does that and he does it as a free gift of his loving grace. So if your Lenten rule is broken, that’s okay! Maybe there’s something in why it was broken that can help you understand what’s needed to keep the rule better—if there’s sin involved in any of this rule-breaking, it’s definitively not in the fact that the rule was broken, but quite possibly in why it was broken. But that’s precisely why even breaks in the rule are important: they’re opportunities for reflection, not self-flagellation. In short, we’re talking about keeping a rule, not following a law. A broken law demands justice. A broken rule invites reflection.

That being said…it may be important to adjust your discipline if you find you can’t actually follow it. It’s better to have a rule you find you can actually reasonably follow, however “light” it might seem, rather than a rule you abandon because it was impossible to keep!

Now, you might be thinking to yourself, beloved Friend: "That’s all well and good, but I don’t even have a rule to break, let alone keep!" But don’t despair! It’s never too late to formulate and embark on keeping a rule! For any number of reasons, you may be getting around to addressing your Lenten discipline well after Ash Wednesday. That’s okay! Because guess what: you’re still addressing your discipline, and that’s what’s important! Don’t get discouraged by “late” starts. You’re not late. You’re right on time!

And certainly don't get discouraged by the prospect of possibly breaking your rule keep you from actually making one!

Finally, if you need help determining what your rule ought to be, please get in touch! I’d love to discern with you what your rule might be!

Under the Mercy,
Fr Mark+

(Much of the above was cribbed from a little booklet I put together called “A Little Guide to a Great Lent”—if you’d like a copy, let me know and I’ll email you a PDF of it!)