Looking Forward to the Journey

Think back to a time when your parents told you about a great trip you were about to take. For days you would sit and dream about the great adventures that awaited your family. For days you would plan your adventures, even ‘practicing’ various skills you knew you would need.

Today the Church takes a glance at the future Great Lenten Journey that is ahead of us this year. While fasting from meat began on Monday, today there is not a ‘normal’ Wednesday fast. Today we fast only from meat, while we get excited about the journey that begins next week.

Every journey needs planning, but a great journey requires anticipation and excitement. If our 2025 Great Lenten Journey is going to be spectacular, then we need to dream about it now. This is why the Church ‘glances’ toward the Fast with readings from the Old Testament.

“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”  Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.  Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people.  Sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants.  Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare thy people, O Lord, and make not thy heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations.  Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?'” Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.  The Lord answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. “I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his front into the eastern sea, and his rear into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!  Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O sons of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.  I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.  And my people shall never again be put to shame.”

Joel 2.12-26

The Prophet Joel describes a spiritual call from God to a special fast in order to return to Him. The Great Fast is a time for us to prepare for our return to God. Fasting is never ‘just’ something we do. Fasting always has a purpose to soften our hearts and offer ourselves to God.

Today’s reading from the Prophet Joel is a reminder that God will protect us and welcome us home. He will remove our enemies from our house when we sanctify our fast. Our house isn’t brick and mortar. Our house is our hearts, and the enemy is the devil and his demons.

Our hearts have been invaded by the devil, but with a holy (that’s what sanctify means) fast we give God the signal that we are ready for Him to ‘clean house’ so that His Holy Spirit can enter our hearts and reign as King.

Like with any journey, our attitude makes all the difference. If we get in the car dreading the ride, even the joy of the destination can be ruined. If you have ever spent a car ride arguing and fighting, you know the spoiled joy that you experience when everyone leaves the car.

Today the Church is inviting us to get excited about our 2025 Great Lenten Journey so we can reach our destination with joy rather than disappointment. Our return to God should be a journey of joy and excitement rather than dread and disappointment. That much is up to us.

To help you with your 2025 Great Lenten Journey, we will again off our Daily Lenten Journey blog. This year’s theme will be “A Life of Prayer” since fasting without prayer is a diet. Prayer is how we alter our attitude. Prayer will be how we turn dread into excitement.

For today, enjoy dreaming about the journey that starts next week. Consider our fasting from meat this week as ‘packing’ for the trip. A little or preparation now, makes the journey more enjoyable.