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Fr Paddy: Lent – a time to let go

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.

No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

“Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

Bonds

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

Lent is moving quickly, one of its great invitation is to let go. As we journey through life often unknowingly we find ourselves letting go, of things, of emotions, of friendships and indeed loved ones. In many ways life itself is a continuous process of letting go, in order to begin again.

This process begins with birth itself letting go of the warmth and safety of the womb in order to embrace and begin the experience of life on the “Outside”.

Letting go embraces every step that is the journey of our human condition and brings with it all the emotional felt experience that accompanies us all on our fragile pathway as we walk through life itself.

At times letting go can be easy or indeed something to be looked forward to; moving on from our studies to a workplace that has new opportunities. However, more significant moments of letting go are much more challenging and indeed a painful process that can be hugely emotional.

Letting go doesn’t mean we don’t care. Letting go doesn’t mean we shut down. Letting go means we stop trying to force outcomes and make people behave in a way we would like them too.

It means we give up resistance to the way things are, for the moment. It means we stop trying to do the impossible, controlling that what we cannot, and instead focus on what is possible, which usually means taking care of ourselves. We do this in gentleness, kindness, and love, as much as possible.

A prayer for lent

Fast from judging others;

Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from emphasis on differences;
Feast on the unity of all life.
Fast from apparent darkness;
Feast on the reality of all light.
Fast from thoughts of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute;
Feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism;
Feast on optimism.
Fast from worry;
Feast on God’s providence.
Fast from complaining;
Feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives;
Feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures;
Feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility;
Feast on non-resistance.
Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety;
Feast on eternal truth.
Fast from discouragement;
Feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress;
Feast on verities that uplift.
Fast from lethargy;
Feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion;
Feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken;
Feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow;
Feast on the sunlight of serenity.
Fast from idle gossip;
Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm;
Feast on prayer that sustains.

Fr Paddy Byrne

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