'Have mercy on me, Lord'

Here is an interview that a communications officer from the Movement of the Incarnation conducted with me at the start of Lent.

Good morning, General Director. We are delighted to be able to speak with you to shed some light on the upcoming Lenten season. What is Lent?

‘It reminds us of the 40 years the Jewish people spent crossing the desert to reach the Promised Land. It also reminds us of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert before his public ministry. Lent is therefore a time of the desert. The desert symbolises a place of isolation, a place of silence, a place of challenges and sacrifices. The prophet Hosea had an unfaithful wife. But he promised to take her into the desert, to win her back and to speak to her heart. Lent is a time when God waits for us, to draw us even closer to him’.

Am I obliged to observe Lent?

‘It is not a physical obligation but a spiritual one. The Church has always found ways to help the faithful draw closer to God and love him more deeply. The liturgical seasons help us on this journey. So if someone truly wants to grow spiritually, if they want to prepare properly for Easter, they cannot neglect Lent.

Can you give us some tips on how to make the most of this Lent?

‘The Church has always guided Christians along a gradual path leading up to Easter. In more practical terms, it encourages Christians to take part regularly in the Stations of the Cross, and to make sacrifices such as abstaining from alcohol or not eating meat on Fridays. More specifically, the Church has always invited Christians during Lent to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Pope Benedict XVI published a letter for Lent 2012. The theme of the message is: ‘Let us pay attention to one another so that we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds’ (Heb 10:24). The Pope draws the faithful’ attention to fraternal correction. This involves, first and foremost, paying attention to my brother and sister, to their physical and spiritual lives. The Pope says, ‘“Paying attention” to our brothers and sisters also involves concern for their spiritual well-being. I wish to recall here an aspect of Christian life which seems to me to have fallen into disuse: fraternal correction with a view to eternal salvation. Generally speaking, today we are very sensitive to the issue of care and charity to be shown for the physical and material well-being of others, but we hardly ever speak of our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church, nor in communities that are truly mature in their faith, where concern is shown not only for a brother’s physical health, but also for that of his soul with a view to his ultimate destiny. In Holy Scripture, we read: ‘Rebuke the wise, and he will love you; give instruction to the wise, and he will become wiser still; instruct the righteous, and he will increase his learning’ (Prov 9:8ff). The Pope then invites us to recognise the good in others and to encourage them. Finally, the Pope invites us to walk together on the path to holiness.

The Incarnation Movement is celebrating an ‘Epiphany Year’ in 2012; what does this Lent mean for the ‘Words of God’ groups?

One of the focal points of this year’s celebration, which fits in well with Lent, is the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as confession. Indeed, none of us can claim to be without sin. To do so would be to call Jesus a liar (Jn 1:8). Lent is the ideal time to ask for forgiveness for our sins, just as King David did. ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity’ (Ps 51:3–4). I am particularly glad as Lent approaches because I know that the Lord will draw me to him in a special way. In our family, we have often taken this opportunity to go to the sacrament of reconciliation every week during Lent. I encourage all members of the Movement – and indeed anyone reading this leaflet – to strive this Lent to experience a time of deep and regular reconciliation with God.

Can you suggest any other ways to live out this Lent?

‘Yes! There are many small acts we can perform to live this Lent deeply and inwardly. As you know, the Spirituality of the Incarnation emphasises small gestures—sometimes invisible and seemingly insignificant, in the humble manner of the Virgin Mary—which help us to love Jesus more deeply: such as being faithful to a personal prayer routine, where we might sacrifice a little sleep for our morning prayer, or give up an hour of television to pray more effectively. We could read a chapter of the Bible every day. We can decide to pray one of the daily readings. Or we can read the Word from the prayer sheet and truly put it into practice during the 40 days of Lent. We can resolve to be faithful and punctual in attending activities that help our faith to grow: in addition to confession, Mass, and group activities (meetings, services, retreats, formation). You can also, for Jesus’ sake, decide to perform 40 acts of love – one each day – to make amends with everyone with whom you recall having had misunderstandings, and to break ties with sin. Especially when it comes to mortal sins, we should turn away from people, places or things that lead us to sin, and help people to be married in the Church. During Lent, the ‘Word of God’ group always organises weekend retreats for the faithful. It would be a good idea to take part in one of these retreats. I wish you a blessed Lent.

Henri Bayemi