Lent in a Bag – A New Way to Experience Lent

Dear blog readers,

Sixteen of us (Patty, Linda, Jude, Renee, Mary Beth, Lee, Helena, Sally, Carla, Mary Cheryl, Anne, Ruth, Connie, Jeannie, Susan, and Pat) gathered as a group to experience Lent in a new way sponsored by the Spirituality Center at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Everything we needed for this experience was a brown bag filled with objects and a willing heart to be open. One of the ways we engaged in this continuing transformation was the creation of this prayer-poem. We did it in small groups in breakout rooms on Zoom.

The dandelion has become our symbol. Like a traditional psalm, this prayer has parts speaking in singular and/or plural voice. There is always the option to sing in community or as an individual.

Holy One,
Bless us with the colors of discipleship
Continue to transform us,
Expel the crap that binds us
Tap us into the Enduring Presence from all time.
Scattering the seeds of your love,
Keeping our eyes fixed on your Son
We call on the wisdom and the strength
Of your Holy Peaceful Presence.
*Amen, Amen.

Giver of Life and Great Creator
Give us greater intimacy and love for you and for all your children.
Holy Spirit, come to my heart and be comfortable dwelling in me, and help me to see you in others.
Divine Mystery help me to be present today to whomever needs my compassionate patient presence.
Help me believe that I am your beloved and so are all your children.

Oh, Divine One, in being your disciple, guide us to listen attentively and trust in your loving providence and care for us.
Let us remember our actions are the seeds that will go out into the world and the release of these seeds are thy will, not ours.
The wind is like the Holy Spirit and it blows the seeds, we are the seeds and we spread our seeds around…
How grateful to be a seed of discipleship; spreading love. 

Our voices are many yet together we come to you offering ourselves as partners in redemption emerging transformed as an Easter People carrying a bouquet of dandelions, our eyes on the sun with roots deep and strong; our witness carried by the wind wherever words are heard and imagination ignites.

*Pete Hankinson contributes the second Amen. As a way of helping differently-able adults claim their spirituality voice, several of us have brought these adults to our sessions to experience an adult retreat. Pete is one of them.

Pat Pickett, OblSB

Photo by Natalia Luchanko on Unsplash