For many of us, this Lent doesn’t feel like Lent and we aren’t able to gather as easily or as frequently for the Sacrament or to hear God’s Word together. We can listen in on the livestreams and participate in that way, but it isn’t the same.

We are all facing disappointments and cancellations and a great deal of uncertainty about our economic well-being, our health, and even our political freedoms. The future has always been uncertain. None of those things was ever guaranteed. But our awareness of that reality has likely never been greater or more uncomfortable. So, what can we do?

One thing we can do is amp our family and personal devotions. We could spend a little less time on Facebook and with the media and more time in the Bible. To that end, in addition to the Congregation at Prayer and tuning in to the daily services, I am proposing that we all set ourselves to preparing for Holy Week by spending the next 12 days reading through the accounts of Our Lord’s Passion from the four Gospels.

We will hear these again Holy Week but we really can’t get too much of them and I think they will serve us well to remind us what is truly essential, what is the beating heart of our faith and hope, and what Easter is all about. Then during Holy Week, in addition to the traditional readings, we will add all the readings from the Vigil and the Old Testament prophecies. Perhaps some of the good that God will work in all this is that we become more centered on His Word and the history of our salvation.