Lenten Journey: A Time for Spiritual Growth

It is common in educational settings and Church work to gather members around a large paper on the wall to create a Wordle. It’s a “word cloud” in which the group or committee puts words associated with the main concept inside the “cloud.” The associated words are grouped together, all related to the main concept. They may be written in different styles and sizes, surrounding the key word, to represent how often these associated words reoccur in personal thoughts or in group prayers and discussions. Above is our Wordle drawing for the season of Lent. Look how often the word “change” appears in our Wordle. What change happens to us during Lent? How often? Is it lasting?

You might want to keep our Wordle and add to it, or better yet, make a new one of your own, as the days of Lent turn into the weeks of March and into the holy days of April. The Lenten journey will take followers of Jesus from the First Sunday of Lent and Jesus being tempted in the desert to his transfiguration on the mountain top to the story of the Prodigal Son to his Passion and finally Jesus’ glorious Resurrection. 

Imagine what your Wordle cloud would look like as you follow Jesus’ journey and add your own words from your reading and prayer through 40 days of Lenten reflection. 

Check out Loretto’s Facebook pages this week for Lenten reflections. There you will read commentary on Jesus’ journey through the days and weeks leading to His suffering and death. Jesus’ Lenten journey is a letting go only to claim us as His forever. We walk with Jesus to the mountain, the desert, into Jerusalem, up to Golgotha to the cross and to the waiting tomb. And what a transforming journey it was for Jesus and is for us. What words will be on your Wordle this Lent?