Welcome to St Mary's the Virgin
Lent is upon us: the great Spring-clean for the soul. What shall we do? What shall we give up and abstain from? Or what good and healthy habit try and develop?
One of the things I find encouraging about Lent is the number of feast days within it. This year there are eleven in the lectionary. Feasting is not something we tend to associate with Lent, and yet there they are: Patrick, Cuthbert, Joseph, Perpetua, Felicity, King Edward… the list goes on.
Putting aside the cynical thought that monks and cardinals of yesteryear became weary of their Lenten diet and thought to themselves (and presumably a gathered decision-making council) “I really fancy some meat… I know! Let’s make tomorrow a Saint’s Day!”, it is worth pondering what a Lenten feast might be. Feasts are about nourishment, but not simply re-fuelling nourishment; (imagine the monastic chef bursting into the dining hall proclaiming, ‘It’s a feast! – of boiled spinach*! – again!’) festal nourishment entails enjoyment. Which brings us to the root of the issue – is Lent something we are supposed to enjoy? To this I would respond with a resounding Yes. The old catechism began with the question “What is the chief purpose of humanity?” – the learned reply was “To know God and enjoy him for ever.” – not “To know God and enjoy him except in Lent.”
Which prayers do you enjoy? Which hymns does it nourish your soul to sing? – some of them may well be Lent hymns… Which is your favourite book of the Bible? – give it another read. We all know there are exercises, foods and drinks that are both good for us and a joy to do, behold and consume, these concepts will vary with each of us - some people genuinely maintain they enjoy outdoor swimming in sub-zero temperatures for example, but even they will admit it might not be for everyone. An exercise I envy is that of a friend who every Lent reads through C S Lewis’s Narnia books, one in each week of the season.
So give feasting a thought and a try this Lent. The Lord looked at all he had made – including you and Lent, “and behold,” he said, “It is good.”
Fr Neil.
