In just a few days we enter the season of Lent. There have always been a few things that have bothered me about the way Lent is characterized. First, I wonder why it is considered a sad time. I understand that we commemorate the passion of our Lord and pondering this is not pleasant. But to us, the believers, there is so much more.
The miracle of salvation is being re-enacted. For we know, yes know, that on Easter Sunday paradise is reopened for man. The plan of God can be consummated and we have the opportunity to be in his beatific embrace for eternity. How then can these mere 40 days be sad?
And then there is the concept of modern day dressing in sack cloth and ashes. We decide that giving up something will force us to suffer. This we have been led to believe, is critical for a successful Lent. To be sure the practice of suffering, alms giving and prayer is well recognized as a significant way to pass through our Lenten time. But, there need be a purpose and it shouldn’t be to “just lose weight”. No the purpose of sacrifice is to enhance our holiness by bettering (even reforming) our lives. Why? Well because our Lord and Savior died for us and opened the heavenly path and we must prepare ourselves for eternal life by living holy as our Father is holy.
Thus, good works and prayer go hand in hand with true sacrifice. This sacrifice is offered up to God in thanksgiving but also with a petition for his grace to live the life he has planned for us. Really our Lenten walk is about pursuing perfection; that is to say perfection in the eyes of our heavenly Father. It is about realigning our lives while maintaining a laser focus on the eternal prize. If not this, what else could it be? Really, does God care that we don’t eat a Snickers bar during Lent? I think not but I firmly believe he wants us to refine our values consistent with his teaching and promises. And to prepare ourselves for the most spectacular event we could ever imagine, the rising of his son, we need to be in the mode of some sacrifice and prayer.
But here is the key; the Lenten journey is to help us amend our ways and continue living them after Lent is over.
If we don’t improve ourselves during Lent, we have missed the purpose of the season. I know it is hard but we ought to take away something positive from the forty days; something we can make a part of our spiritual life going forward.
As with so many things, the Church gives us great methodology for growing.
I have always thought that every business ought to have a “Lenten” season. We need a time of renewal. A time to do self-examination of our procedures, our products, our personnel, our work ethic, our goal and of course our financials.
For most of my career, I always had a planning session that spread over three days of active, aggressive and tiring interaction. Sessions that started early and went well into the evening. The preparation for this meeting started weeks before so while not forty days, it was a substantial effort at a renewed focus on ourselves and our departments, but mostly on our company going forward.
For me it was the most valuable time of the year. And I strongly recommend that if your business does not engage in this type of planning session, you should. Over the years, I have acted as a facilitator for many companies for multiple day planning sessions. I sincerely believe that most of the time the team grew and the plan that resulted was beneficial to the company. I find that the main thing is focus. That is stick to your knitting and look to see how you can do what you do, that is what you are good at, better and more efficiently. If I could “sell” that during the session, I felt I had succeeded. Unfortunately, when I checked back in a couple of months, I found that many had gone back to their old ways and were reacting instead of working the plan.
What is it about us that we have such good intentions and then let everything fall apart so quickly? Think about it. Ask yourself how many of my New Year’s resolutions am I sticking to, only two months after the first of the year?
The same is true with our spiritual life. Only this is so much more important. After all “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”(MK 36)
So for me, and I hope you will join me, I am going to get at least one good spiritual benefit out of this Lent that I will carry through in my future spiritual life. It just kind of makes good sense, doesn’t it?
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Ric Brutocao is the managing partner at Venture Communications and writes from Laguna Niguel, CA.
Ric Brutocao is a popular host on The Mentors Radio Show, where he brings to listeners innovative guests and his own seasoned experience as an entrepreneur,... MORE »