From the Provincial: This Lent - What Do I Need to Let Go of to Live More Authentically?

Every fortnight, Br Darren Burge, the Provincial of the Star of the Sea Province, will share an editorial. You can read it either in our newsletter - Star Messenger - or on our website.

As we enter the holy season of Lent, Br Darren Burge offers a beautiful and reflective editorial, inviting us to pause and consider a few important questions: What do I need to let go of or embrace to live more authentically as a person and a Christian? Where is God inviting me to experience greater freedom, and which areas of my life am I holding back from Him?

In today’s post-modern world, the idea of a mark of dust in the form of a cross on our

forehead seems a strange tradition at the commencement of Lent.

For us as Catholics, it naturally seems to mark a special time in our year that is lodged in our

memory. The ashes are a stark reminder of our humanity and mortality. It draws us into mystery, and we are encouraged to reflect deeply on our own lives instead of simply going through the motions. It does require us to turn around and have a change of heart.

Lent is an opportunity for renewal, grounded in the belief that transformation and liberation are possible through our relationship with God.

It also raises questions for us - What do I need to let go of or embrace to live more authentically as a person and Christian? Where is God inviting me to experience greater freedom, and what areas of my life am I withholding from God?

Jan Richardson, artist and poet, captures the essence of Ash Wednesday beautifully in her reflection called Ash Wednesday: What God Can Do with Dust in The Painted Prayerbook, February 2018, when she writes:

We are entering the season that begins with a smudge. That smudge is a testimony to what survives. It is witness to what abides when everything seems lost. It is a sign that what we know and love may, for a time, be reduced to dust, but it does not disappear. We belong to the God who well knows what to do with dust, who sees the dust as a place to dream anew, who creates from it again and again.

While the invitation to let go or embrace, can potentially be painful and challenging, Jan reminds us that God can do extraordinary things with the dust of our lives.

It also raises questions for us - What do I need to let go of or embrace to live more authentically as a person and Christian? Where is God inviting me to experience greater freedom, and what areas of my life am I withholding from God?

Engaging in this invitation during Lent often prompts us to examine aspects of ourselves that may be complex, uncomfortable, or outside our usual sense of control, leading to feelings of vulnerability. Such reflection can reveal patterns of behaviour that are not conducive to our well-being and may have adverse effects on both ourselves and those around us. We might recognise these concerns as unhealthy and wish to address them; however, they may be deeply ingrained or difficult to manage. Lent serves as a reminder that it is always possible to confront and address these issues by inviting God into any area of our lives.

A relative of mine is proof that it's never too late to change with God’s help. He was tough, angry, and openly rejected religion, living hard and drinking and smoking heavily. As a child, I felt uneasy around him. When he was dying from emphysema, my mother visited him and was shocked to find he’d asked after me and requested prayers - something he’d never done before. She described how he’d become peaceful, sharing he’d felt God’s presence and was ready to go home.

He died peacefully three days later.

Lent serves as a reminder that it is always possible to confront and address these issues by inviting God into any area of our lives.

Whatever my relative experienced during those final days, he probably sought out God and allowed himself to be open and vulnerable. In his weakness, God’s strength flowed through him. St Paul emphasises this Christian paradox in his second letter to the Corinthians

(2 Cor 12:10): “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” When we are unable or weak, God's strength and grace seem to reach us more easily. Extreme situations can push us towards this openness, though we still have to decide for ourselves.

Often, we feel self-sufficient and take pride in our independence, encouraged by the world around us. Yet this attitude can limit how much of God's grace we receive. St Paul notes that God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9) Paul explained that even though the cause of suffering - like his own 'thorn' - may not be changed, God can help transform our wounds. Achieving this calls for a continuous practice of openness, trust, and reliance on God.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Lent encourages us to honestly re-examine those areas of our lives that call for transformation if we are to experience true freedom. This process is often challenging and may leave us feeling exposed or uneasy, particularly when we allow others to support us on our journey. Yet, the very act of vulnerability opens us to God’s grace, reminding us that we belong to the One who continually breathes new life into the dust of our existence.

As we receive the cross of ashes on our foreheads, may it serve as a powerful symbol of both our mortality and God’s creative power, inspiring us to embrace change with renewed courage and hope.

Blessings for the Lenten season.

-Br Darren Burge

Provincial