This morning I heard a guest speaker on Relevant Radio say that when he awoke after surgery and was told things were not going so well, his thought was “I should have loved better!” That struck me as a great theme for my Lent this year. Other years I have chosen to “fast” from contempt, as well as giving up certain foods, but I have also been looking for ways to make Lent also about adding things: good practices that will help with my gradual transformation into the image of Christ. “Love better” fits that goal.
To love better could be a large or small challenge – depending on the person or persons involved, and probably depending on the day. I will try to track my progress with this goal; that will help to give this blog some additional focus. I will explore, I think, all the varieties of loving – such as loving through almsgiving, through actions, through judicious silence…we shall see. Certainly every day provides lots of opportunities to love (or not), and thus to love better.
It also was a surprise – and pleasure – to receive the anointing of the sick today after Mass: oil on the forehead and palms of anyone who wanted it. It’s part of that preparation for Lent thing…and I intend to welcome every opportunity. It wasn’t the wonderful scented oil that they use for anointing at the Tenebrae service (more on that later on in Lent), but still a blessing – I experienced it as a moment of tenderness from the Holy Spirit, a tenderness I need and can use to help me love better this Lent..
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