The treasures of Lent beckon us.
What will we "give up"?
What will we "take up"?
We may spend these weeks meditating on the Figure of Good Friday.
We may look at the brutal suffering He endured.
We may discover we prefer to observe Him from a safe distance, viewers, who watch His Passion, afraid to get too close, even when He falls.
And we may then be given to reflect on the words St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face:
"How few there are who accept failure and weakness, few who are content to see themselves on the ground and to be found there by others."
Or, we may get as close to His Mother as we possibly can just to comfort her with our presence and our prayer and our love as she walks every step with Him, in His sights at every moment.
And so we may then find ourselves released from our fear of proximity to such suffering and instead to meditate on the utter, staggering, all consuming Love that took Him there into that horror, for us.
And finally we may find growing within ourselves a burning desire to stand, walk, be as close as we possibly can to this majestic Figure of Incarnate Love as He walks in our place to His Death.
"I should not consider any spirituality worthwhile that would walk in sweetness and ease and run from the Imitation of Christ." (St. John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mount Carmel)
AND IN HIS HIDDEN BEAUTY, WE BEGIN TO FIND OUR LENTEN TREASURES.