With An Eye Toward Easter

Sometimes the journey through the Season of Lent can seem long, especially if we are doing our best to live differently as we journey through it. 

Perhaps you decided to give something up for Lent, and now as we are not even halfway through, you are beginning to wonder if it will ever end.  Or maybe you added something to your daily routine as a Lenten practice, but you are feeling the pinch on your time and energy. 

I get it.  Lent often feels like that for more reasons than our own practices.  We are ending a long winter, and the days are a bit longer, the sun may be coming out a bit more, but we are ready for full-on Spring, and then beyond.  

Perhaps vacations await, or the end of the school year.  Maybe you are just ready to plant flowers, and sit outside on your patio without freezing to death.  

This is a good opportunity in this series of Lenten devotions to consider Easter for a bit.  The late Orthodox priest and theologian Alexander Schmemann had this bit of wisdom to share about this very thing: 

“As we make the first step into the 'bright sadness' of Lent, we see—far, far away—the destination. It is the joy of Easter, it is the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom. And it is this vision, the foretaste of Easter, makes Lent's sadness bright and our Lenten effort a 'spiritual spring.' The night may be dark and long, but all along the way a mysterious and radiant dawn seems to shine on the horizon.”

In these words, we find a powerful reminder that Lent is not merely a time of sacrifice and introspection but an essential pilgrimage toward hope and joy. 

The struggles we face along the way may feel heavy, yet they are imbued with the promise of awakening and renewal. Just as the darkness of night gives way to the light of dawn, our Lenten journey prepares us for the glorious celebration of Easter.

This hope is echoed in Scripture, particularly in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: 

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 

These verses remind us that our current struggles will lead to eternal joy and glory in the presence of God.

As we reflect on the 'bright sadness' of Lent, let us hold fast to the vision of Easter. Allow this hope to guide your prayers, fasts, and acts of kindness this season. Each step draws you closer to the radiant dawn that promises new life and resurrection.

Continue to keep the hope of Easter at the forefront of your mind. Let it illuminate your path and inspire your heart as you navigate this holy season. 

May your Lenten journey be filled with both introspection and the joy of knowing that the ultimate destination is the glorious celebration of the Resurrection. 

Remember, the dawn is on the horizon, waiting to break through with the promise of new beginnings.

May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always, now and forever.  Amen.