The Second Week in Lent
Dear Faithful Family & Friends,
Ever since my friend, John Bowers, created this blog, I have thought about the title and photo he chose for me. I determined that I would create a series for the blog, entitled Margo’s Book Corner. As the photo implies, I like old books: classic books that have stood the test of time. I agree with Will Rogers who said, “Whenever a new book comes out, I read an old one.” The About section of this blog describes me as “appreciating all things ancient and sacred.” So, here is the first installment of Margot’s Book Corner and Lent is the first subject, which perfectly meshes my two interests: old, classic books with ancient and sacred traditions.
I am relatively new to Anglicanism and, so, I am trying to deepen my understanding of the meaning of Lent. For the past few years, my Lenten reading has centered around the book, Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter, Plough Publishing House, 2003. It is a collection of 72 thoughtful and challenging essays, each written by a different author. The six sections of the book are entitled: Invitation, Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and New Life. There are contributions from some my favorite non-living authors: Augustine, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Chambers, Chesterton, Donne, and Lewis; and from some of my favorite living authors: Wendell Berry, Thomas Howard, Peter Kreeft, Alister McGrath, John Stott, and N. T. Wright. [Proviso: I cannot recommend all of the authors; I skip over the authors whom I do not appreciate.]
Here is a new book I am adding to my reading list for Lent. I learned about it from the blog of my daughter, Haley. Below she describes Signs of Life by Scott Hahn:
It’s divided into 40 small chapters, (Baptism, the Mass, Marriage, Confession, Pilgrimage, etc.) and so fits perfectly in the 40 days of Lent, if we read one chapter a day. Hahn explains that, in our Lenten sacrifice, be it food or otherwise, “We return it all to God for forty days, not because any of it is ‘bad,’ but because it is indeed very good. Only good things should be offered in sacrifice to God; only the best of the harvest could be offered as a tithe. We give them to God so that we learn not to put anything in God’s place in our lives.”
Isn’t that a great quote? I have been thinking about this all week and I invite you to think about this, also: What are the “good things” that we might offer in sacrifice to God during Lent?
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[This past Sunday, we sang this beautiful anthem by Franz Peter Schubert:]
Jesus, Lamb of God: have mercy on us. Jesus, bearer of our sins: have mercy on us. Jesus, Redeemer, Redeemer of the world: Give us your peace, give us your peace.
Coram Deo,
Margot
Margot’s Corner 