Lent Day 34 | 40 to Life

A.Pace Lenten Reflection
Saturday 9 April 2022

We Prepare…

Hi Redeemer Family! Welcome back to our Lenten Reflection series 40 to Life–I’m Allison Pace. Today is the last Saturday in this Lenten Season.

As we all know, during a Penitential Season such as Lent, we prepare our hearts, minds, bodies and souls in such a way that we draw closer and deeper into a relationship and love of God. 

As many of us also know, tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and next week is Holy Week–the time period leading up to Easter Sunday. To say that there's a lot of preparation that goes into the next week in the life of the church would probably be an understatement. 

We’ve been preparing ourselves throughout this Lenten Season–our individual selves are preparing for the mystery, love and hope of the resurrection on Easter Morning. BUT…our preparation doesn’t stop today, it doesn’t stop tomorrow, and it doesn’t even stop on Easter Sunday…

Preparation is more than making a list, and checking the boxes off that list–it’s about living into our Baptismal Covenant–the promises and vows that either we made for ourselves, or someone made on our behalf…

Preparation is about seeking and serving Christ in every single person…it’s about striving for justice and peace and respecting the dignity of everyone…it’s about resisting evil and proclaiming by word and example the Good News of Jesus…it’s about prayer, breaking bread and fellowship–all of which leads back to God’s love shown to us in Jesus’ Resurrection. 

With God always at our side, we prepare ourselves to live deeper and deeper into who God needs us to be–into who God calls us to be. 

As this year’s Lenten Season comes to a close, I invite you to wonder about how your Lenten Discipline prepared you for Holy Week and Easter Sunday…how your Lenten Discipline prepared you for your Christian life after Easter Sunday…and what you might need to add or remove from your life–to prepare for the hope of resurrection each and every day of your earthly life. 

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Please pray with me. This is the Collect assigned for today, the final Saturday in Lent. 

O Lord, in your goodness you bestow abundant graces on your elect: Look with favor, we entreat you, upon those who in these Lenten days are being prepared for Holy Baptism, and grant them the help of your protection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.