A Slow, Sure Spiritual Journey

I have sometimes described Lent as a plunge into a thicket, an intentional wilderness journey in the company of Jesus Christ. Metaphors like these are rich and somewhat romantic. Yet the plain fact is that most of us must “do Lent” right where we are, smack in the middle of things. However we mark off the days by making some gift of self, through Lenten practices, attending Mass more frequently or works of mercy, Lent remains mostly an interior movement, a deliberate choosing to spend 40 days with the Lord. We want to follow him into the wilderness. We want to follow him to the cross.

For me, good reading is often the way in. I am not speaking here of lectio divina, as Lawrence Cunningham did in these pages so well last year. Instead, the phrase that comes to mind is festina lente, a wise Latin saying best rendered in English as “Make haste slowly.” (Apparently Suetonius attributed it to Augustus Caesar, but really it is one of those bits of popular wisdom that needs no author at all.)

If Lent is to be transformational, even modestly so, we should turn away from the haste and noise and slow down. And we should choose books that slow us down, even when we read them in small increments. Lenten books are not to be grasped in outlines, digests or executive summaries. Even though short (in number of pages), good Lenten books are long on wisdom and depth. Here are a few I would recommend.

Joyce Rupp’s book on prayer is entitled simply This article appears in February 11 2008.