Lent Day 23 | 40 to Life

The below reflection was provided by the Diocese of Southern Virginia:

Monday in the Fourth Week of Lent

O Lord our God, in your holy Sacraments you have given us a foretaste of the good things of your kingdom: Direct us, we pray, in the way that leads to eternal life, that we may come to appear before you in that place of light where you dwell for ever with your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

When I was a youngster, I would hear the “foretaste of the heavenly banquet” in liturgy, and would ponder the wafer and sip of wine at Holy Communion. This did not seem like a very hearty banquet to me, but I was just starting my spiritual journey. Honestly at that point in my life, I had accepted the real presence of Jesus in the bread and wine. Calling that wafer bread seemed to strain credulity.

1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us that “For now we see in a mirror, dimly... Now I know only in part; then I will know fully...” This foretaste given to us by the Sacraments is only a partial reflection of what God is providing for us. It is perhaps all that we have the capacity to understand right now.

As I consider the Sacraments, I am struck by how they have grown increasingly important to me as I have grown in the faith. The Sacraments have not changed, but my understanding of (and appreciation for) them has.

Our hope is to continue this process as we enter into a more full Communion with God, and our prayer is “Direct us, we pray...”

The Diocesan Lenten Reflections come from clergy and laity in each of our nine convocations. The reflections are based on the collect appointed for each day in Lent. Today's collect and the associated daily readings can be found HERE.