An Invitation, not an Obligation
A reflection from Maura Bernt
Working in New York City at Centro Altagracia de Fe y Justicia to help the community find connections between faith, justice, and civic action.
Working in New York City at Centro Altagracia de Fe y Justicia to help the community find connections between faith, justice, and civic action.
Each year during the season of Lent, I am ever aware of how counter-cultural this tradition is in our country. In my Catholic circles, I overhear people discussing their views on "giving up" something for Lent.
On the surface, this practice seems congruent with the Church's association with abstinence, penance, and deprivation; but at its heart this season is something I cherish about my faith at a time when other aspects of Catholicism challenge and frustrate me.
In reflecting on the commitment I've made, I realize that JVC has called me and my fellow Jesuit Volunteers into a Lenten year, and even a Lenten lifestyle—one where we are encouraged to ask "What do I have? What do I really need? Where do I have room to grow? What might I let go of to make space for that?"
My community has often discussed our society's stigma, and even fear, of going without. In a world where "bigger is better" we aren't often challenged to ask ourselves how having less might be more liberating or life-giving.
A couple of my dear friends often use the phrase "it's an invitation, not an obligation." I've come to see Lent that way. I do not feel morally obligated to give something up for these 40 days, but each year I feel called, invited to discover how letting go of something might create space within me for gratitude, humility, patience, and joy. I feel called to remember that in giving up, there is much to be gained.
Whether or not each of us "gives up" something this season, perhaps we can take the time this Lent, and this year, to accept the invitations around us.
On the surface, this practice seems congruent with the Church's association with abstinence, penance, and deprivation; but at its heart this season is something I cherish about my faith at a time when other aspects of Catholicism challenge and frustrate me.
In reflecting on the commitment I've made, I realize that JVC has called me and my fellow Jesuit Volunteers into a Lenten year, and even a Lenten lifestyle—one where we are encouraged to ask "What do I have? What do I really need? Where do I have room to grow? What might I let go of to make space for that?"
My community has often discussed our society's stigma, and even fear, of going without. In a world where "bigger is better" we aren't often challenged to ask ourselves how having less might be more liberating or life-giving.
A couple of my dear friends often use the phrase "it's an invitation, not an obligation." I've come to see Lent that way. I do not feel morally obligated to give something up for these 40 days, but each year I feel called, invited to discover how letting go of something might create space within me for gratitude, humility, patience, and joy. I feel called to remember that in giving up, there is much to be gained.
Whether or not each of us "gives up" something this season, perhaps we can take the time this Lent, and this year, to accept the invitations around us.
- Our spirituality—an invitation to the challenge that faith presents to us, granting us freedom to question, to search, to seek the God in all things.
- Our simple lifestyle—an invitation to think about how we "spend" our time together, making space for creativity, adventure, and simple pleasures.
- Our community—an invitation to think outside of ourselves, creating room for understanding, openness, and celebration.
- Our work for justice—an invitation to let our hearts be broken, freeing up a place within our hearts love this world better.
