Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
The word "Lent" comes from the Old English word læncte, which means "lengthening" or "springtime". Spring (in our eco-region) is a time of rains, longer days, change and growth expressed in today’s first reading. I grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, where foot-high snow often covered the ground throughout Lent. The snowmelt took weeks through April/May and as children we longed for the snow piles to melt so we could shift from hockey on ice rinks to street ball hockey and the snow-clear baseball season. We jumped on the ice-covered puddles to break them up and help the process along. Streets became mini-streams as the waters drained from roadways into our rivers and lakes. We couldn’t shift from snow boots to shoes until the ground was drier and the streets cleaned of the winter gravel and salting. The process took time. Melting snows are an important source of water for the deep soils of the North American prairies, which produce wheat and other grains as a ‘breadbasket’ for the world.
Looking back at the richness of my childhood experiences, enlightens the promise given by the prophet Isaiah. We are given beautiful imagery of the life-giving, nourishing word of God being like springtime replenishment. The rains and snows watering the earth make it fertile and fruitful and ultimately nourish us through the seeds plants produce. Through God’s gifts and the work of human hands, seeds are sowed again to produce future food. Some grains are ground to make our bread - a basic food of life and our Eucharistic feast.
Today’s words invite us to be like the earth - receiving the word of God and allowing it to sink deeply into us. To take the time to savor the word, and be steeped in it is akin to snow slowly melting. Since springtime snowmelt and rains are repeated events, we are invited to continually practice reading, hearing and pondering the word of God.
Perhaps this Lent we can commit to giving more time each day with the word of God. We might slowly read phrases of Scripture periodically throughout the day. We can ponder the images that come up, and then pray our gratitude for the insights received and God’s loving promise to us.
For example, to let today’s reading sink in we might:
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Pray for openness to receive the refreshing rains and replenishment of God’s word.
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Reflect on our own experiences of rain and what we appreciate about the greening of springtime, or caring for plants in our home or garden.
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On a rainy day, take time to watch the rain fall on the earth, and pray to be like receptive soil.
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On sunny days take walks to appreciate the new life of springtime emerging and foster our spiritual insights.
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Ponder the features and beauty of houseplants and their growth.
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When eating bread or other grain products (e.g. cereals, rice, quinoa, couscous, pasta and pizza) be grateful for these fruits of the earth and the farmers and all involved (harvesters, truckers and grocers) to bring them to us.
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When you cook a food, be aware of the mixing and transformation process and how it speaks to God’s word changing us.
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Ask for the grace to be receptive to God’s invitation, and to cooperate with the process of change and transformation - our ongoing conversion.
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Reflect on how we are called to sow and be seeds. Who are we called to be nourishment or replenishment for?
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Commit to an action of awareness or response to the word
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Thank God for the promise of care and companionship given to each of us and our communities in this Lenten/Springtime season.
In this way we can live into the promise that God gives: “My word…shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”
—Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI