Lent and the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Brownsville, Texas

Rector's Reflections
Here it is, it's Lent.  I don't believe that it's a coincidence that it begins at a time of year that is unstable.  The coming of Spring is a season that seems to be trying to give birth to itself  The days are cold one day, hot the next, wet one week, dry the next, cloudy, sunny - you get the picture.  In a way, it's not unlike our spiritual lives at times, our relationship with God.  Actually, Spring is the perfect time to jump into the season of Lent for exactly that reason.  It matches us.

The goal, the plan for Spring is to produce beauty.  So is the heart of Lent.  When all the turmoil and vacillations of Spring and Lent are over, hopefully, something of joy and beauty will have arisen in us.  the important thing to remember here is that all this takes intentional effort.  Nature, God's skilled gardener, knows just what to do each year in preparing the soil, softening up the seeds, awakening the trees and flowers; each plant responds in its own way to the prodding of life with a steady and determined growth.

Our Lenten disciplines are much like the hand of that skilled gardener shaping and coaxing our souls to respond to what God has already planted in our souls and is now hoping will grow.  It is a real time of discovery.  It is a time of becoming who we were created to be.                
 
Faithfully,
 Fr. Reese+

ABOUT LENT                                                                                                  
Lent is the 40-day period of repentance and renewal preceding Easter.  It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter.  Holy Week, the week before Easter, is commemoration of the last days in the life of Jesus on earth.  Lent is the time set aside for meditation, prayer, fasting, self-denial, seeking forgiveness and holy works in God's Name.  Lent is several weeks in the church year for increased understanding of the life of Jesus of Nazareth -- his ministry, sacrifice, and death.  Lent is a special opportunity in which baptismal vows may be renewed and a new commitment may be made in one's faith and life.  Lent is a liturgical season that can help one prepare and experience the full joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Day. 

Thank you for taking the time to read the Advent E-pistle.  If you have any comments or suggestions or would like to submit an article, please contact the church office at 542-4123 or secretary@adventbrownsville.org.