Fr Robert Hendrickson

Dear Friends in Christ,

How is your Lenten discipline going?

Usually, around this time in Lent, I find my Lenten ardor for the abstinences of Lent flagging. I’m certainly ready for some sugar this year!

One change I made this year was to allow Sundays to be a break from Lenten discipline. Technically that has always been the rule — the 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays which, as each Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, allows for a bit of a break.

I’ve generally not followed that and opted for a kind of super-Lent or Lent-plus. But I’m finding that having allowed for that small, licit break each week has made the rest of the observance much more workable. So rather than cramming a bunch of cake in halfway through Lent and then sort of giving up I’m now much more observant.

In addition, even on Sundays I don’t abuse the opportunity but treat it with a kind of happy chance to moderately relax.

I wonder how we can give one another permission, in other aspects of our life, to relax a bit. How can we give and receive permission to relax into the love of God rather than simply trying to follow the rules as tightly as possible until we just can’t?

I’m thankful this year for having chosen to relax my observance just a bit — accepting that chance to take a break has made all the rest of the experience of Lent that much more focused and disciplined.

May you find, this week, your chance to relax so that you may even more lovingly and gratefully follow where Christ is leading this season.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Robert