Lent: The Invitation to Draw Closer to Jesus

A few weeks ago, a close friend and I were discussing Lent and the sacrifices we were going to be offering. Afterall, Lent is all about prayer, sacrifice, and almsgiving, right? While this is true to an extent, my friend helped me to realize that I was missing the point that the deeper significance of Lent is developing a greater relationship with Jesus. I was getting caught up in thoughts about me and the sacrifices I was going to make. While I was focusing on myself, Jesus was just waiting patiently and wondering, “When is she going to spend more quality time with Me?”

Lent is not about me. It is not about what I give up or the sacrifices I make. It is about Jesus and drawing into the safety of His Sacred Heart. It is about learning how to walk in its rhythmic beats of love. It is about learning how He defines us as His beloved sons and daughters. I firmly believe that we are asked to sacrifice some of our normal comforts during Lent, but that is only so that we can be filled up with His comfort. Those sacrifices lead us to know and believe that He is our true fulfillment. Lent is the time in which we are called out of ourselves so we can draw deeper into Him. We are blessed!