Preparing for Lent

Spent this evening in spiritual direction and confession. I always think its important to try to start the Lenten season with a clean slate though sometimes I think about the logic of starting a season of penance in a state in which my sins have been forgiven - well life is full of these theological puzzlers. Perhaps it is important to get motivated to try to live a better life over these next couple of weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter and certainly every bit of sacramental grace helps.

Lent is also a curious season as it seems so much attention is spent toward ensuring that it is lived well that once Easter takes place, everyone is just so glad that Lent is over that no one really pays much attention to what that much longer Church season really means. Therefore, I think that this year I want not to so much prepare for Lent, but prepare for Easter to prepare myself for the day when the resurrected Christ comes in glory as he did to those who followed him long ago. This is what I want to be ready to hear, the voice of Jesus saying "Peace be with you". Let this be Lent be a time for obtaining this peace.