Lent originally meant the season of Spring.  It’s an interesting, unrelated co-incidence that the word lent in French means slow.  Although it has nothing to do with the real meaning of the word, it might give us a quick reflection:  Slow down for Lent.  Make time for prayer, fast from food and drink or some other good thing, and go to the help of your neighbor.

And almost immediately the question arises:  Why?  Why would anyone want to focus on prayer, fasting or charity.  Perhaps the basic answer would be so that we might renew our response to our covenant relationship with God.

Wouldn’t it be great if Pope Benedict said that this Lent we should all seek happiness by a daily soak in a hot tub, or those scented oil candles, or any of the popular activities that whisk us away from the real world?  This year he asks us to reflect on ‘justice.’  Hop on over to the Vatican web site and read his message.