An Ash Wednesday prayer by the Dutch priest/spiritual guide Henri Nouwen says: “O Lord, make this season different from the other ones. Let me find you again.” LET ME FIND YOU AGAIN!
Is God hidden from us? In the Book of Isaiah it says, “Indeed, you are a hidden God.” This brings forth images of the sun behind dark clouds, a veiled painting, or secret passageways in a castle. I don’t think God is like that.
Are we maybe the ones who hide? Do we get buried under so much other “stuff” that we can’t recognize the God right before us? In St. Angela’s own prayer, she says, “My Lord, light up the darkness of my heart. Strengthen my affections and senses so that they do not turn me away from that dazzling face of yours.” Perhaps it’s that we turn away.
In this new season of Lent, do we need to find God again–in the beauty of creation, the goodness of persons, or the grace of sacrament and celebration? A gentle, prayerful look at what exhausts and consumes us might free us to find God in ways and places we least expect. May this holy season of Lent be a time of holy discovery!