The season of Lent is a journey. It is designed to take us spiritually to a different place. Often we begin this season looking at all the external circumstances and pressures in our lives. It is as if we are attempting to navigate a confusing maze. Lent calls us to pause and then begin a different kind of journey. It is a labyrinth journey whereby we intentionally journey inward to the depths of our being. We walk a path of contemplation, considering who we are and what our lives have become. When we reach the center we pause again, take deep breaths, and begin the journey outward. The outward journey takes us, not back to old chaos, but to
a new path of peace, compassion and justice.
This year, during the season of Lent our scriptures align with this pilgrimage. We will be invited to meditate on one word that characterizes the heart of God and describes the way of Jesus. Each week is a centering journey that moves us to insight and then follows Jesus out to a new way of living. From Ash Wednesday to Good Friday we are reminded of the great truth which states: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”