My fellow crew member of the Colmcille, Peter Macleod from the Isle of Lewis gave me this picture when he visited the US in 2007. The inscription reads, 'Monks in A Boat' Jerr C Dauriczen, Cahersiveen Co. Kerry, Ireland. The picture portrays to me the Lenten season of the Christian liturgical calendar. It shows for me a community of Christ followers on the path where the Spirit sends them.
What is Lent? According to Elesha Coffman ,Lent is the period of fasting in preparation for Easter, has been on the church calendar since the first or second century. It has not, however, always occupied the same dates. According to Irenaeus (c. 130-c. 200), cited by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History, the lenten fast originally lasted only two or three days. The 40-day period, first mentioned in the Canons of Nicea (325), was probably adopted to parallel the 40-day fasts of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, though it may also have reflected the 40 hours Jesus spent in the tomb.
In the US in recent times there has been leaning of the Protestant Churches to celebrate the Lenten season that once thought was the purview of the Roman Catholics. It is also being observed by many of the home church movement.
I found myself reverting to past practices of my Episcopalian origins this week. My wife came home to pancakes Tuesday night. She said, Oh, I remember those.
ChristianHistory.com has a good article called, "Stretching Our Faith." To quote the article;
Abba Macarius, Egyptian camel driver turned monk, an original Desert Father (c. 300–c. 390) Lift your hands to heaven, asking, "Forgive me, Lord." If you're still anxious, pray, "Help me." You really don't need to say much. God knows our needs. His mercy is never tardy.
That seems to me a good place to start.
