The Lord,
speaking through the prophet Isaiah, declares,
“Behold, I
send my messenger before thy face who shall prepare the way; the voice of one
crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight.” (Isaiah
40:2)
Later, in
the Wilderness by the Jordan, John the Baptist shows the people how to prepare
for the coming of their King: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
hand.” (Matthew 3:2)
We, too,
need to prepare our hearts for the mystery of the death and resurrection of our
Lord. The season of Lent provides that opportunity. Meaningful preparation is
more than “giving up” some minor luxury. During the forty days (excluding
Sundays) that precede Easter, we can intentionally draw nearer to God as we
read and meditate on scripture and offer our lives to Him in prayer. We can examine our lives, discarding those
attitudes and activities that lead us away from our God, and acquiring new
habits that can help us establish a more meaningful relationship with Him.
Reading
these forty brief meditations, prepared by members of our congregation, can
assist us as we prepare for Easter. We will walk with Jesus as His ministry
unfolds in the Gospel of Mark. We recommend reading the entire Gospel of Mark in one sitting (it is only sixteen short
chapters) before beginning the devotions on Ash Wednesday, the first day of
Lent. Then each day devote some time to reading and mediating on a passage of
scripture and the writer’s reflection on it. May this practice give deeper
meaning to the celebration of Easter for each of us.
—
Mary Jo Shannon, Editor
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