Throughout the Lenten season, I’ve been reading daily meditations from a booklet our church distributed at the beginning of Lent. Each meditation is just two pages long. The first page usually tells the story of a saint or saintly person relevant to that day in history, such as St. Patrick on March 17. The booklet understandably refers to the day as “The feast of St. Patrick,” rather than “St. Patrick’s Day.”

The second page of each meditation begins with a Biblical verse focusing on the Passion of Christ, and then offers explanations and reflections on that verse. Although I’ve gained much from these verses and reflections, I’ve most enjoyed the stories about the people, especially those from more recent times rather than the early days of the church. Several are in the World War II era, and one is about an Italian teenager who is on the path to becoming the first millennial to be named a saint. This was particularly enlightening because whenever I hear the word “saint,” I immediately think of people in togas, sandals, and halos. Not teenagers in track suits and tennis shoes, as this young man was described.

Even taking a bit of time to just sit and reflect on what I’ve read, it takes only a few minutes for me to go through each day’s reading, which I’ve been doing first thing in the morning.

I’ve written before about the “first thing in the morning” premise. And about how doing things in small snippets of time, rather than trying to block out big chunks of time, is more likely to accomplish whatever it is we’re trying to do. After all, it’s easier to commit a few minutes than an hour or more to anything we want to do on a regular basis. And following a routine leads to developing a habit.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Lent will be over, and I’ve reached the last page of my Lenten booklet. I’ve enjoyed developing the habit of spending just a few minutes every morning reading about—and reflecting on—a Biblical verse and its meaning in my life, as well as stories of inspirational people. It’s a habit I’d like to continue. I have other books and booklets with daily meditations—some religious, and some secular—and I know there are tons more online that I can consult. Beyond the 40 days of Lent, I hope to keep up this habit throughout my life.

For everyone who is celebrating it this weekend, I wish you a blessed and Happy Easter.

March 30, 2024
©Betty Liedtke, 2024

I welcome your comments, but please be aware that all comments will be moderated and approved before appearing on this blog. This is to protect all of us from unwanted spam.