Saturday 9th March - Lent

Me again, idling tapping away on the tablet until it is a reasonable time to go to bed.

I was looking for the picture I took this afternoon of the iris bulbs after a couple of days of daylight, but for some reason it doesn't appear in 'photographs' yet. Stuck in a cloud somewhere, I suppose.

It occurred to me that their growth might be symbolic in some way of how one is meant to 'grow' in Lent. Or maybe it is nothing to do with Lent.

The advantage of giving up or taking on things for Lent is, of course, that it keeps the season firmly at the forefront of your mind. I have decided to give up the usual things that I usually choose; playing patience and freecell (you've no idea how hard I'm finding it), and speeding when driving (by which I mean paying Extra Attention and Exactitude to speed limits) and to take up praying for myself, every day if I can remember to.

A Latin chant setting of the Gloria Patri from the Liber Usualis, with two euouaealternatives
wikipedia

On the whole, I find saying a sort of rosary is a good way to pray for people, including myself. I use my hands to guide me through; one thumb for The Doxology, fingers for The Jesus Prayer and the other thumb for The Lord's Prayer, and hold that person in my mind as I go along. It stops me from trying to second-guess or speculate...

Christogram with Jesus Prayer in Roumanian
wikipedia

Some aspects of my early education in a Catholic Prep School have obviously formed deep roots. I always wanted one of the pretty rosaries that the school has displayed in a case for sale, (but not enough to actually go spend my own pocket money...)

I use the traditional version of The Lord's Prayer. Recently, because of something I read somewhere, I can't remember where, the word 'trespass' has made more sense to me than 'sin'; as in stepping over the boundaries or out of the pathway that I am meant to keep to.

And, in the Doxology, it is always the Holy Ghost, not the Holy Spirit!

Deep roots.

It might seem odd to end with a poem from a fantasy novel... I've always liked this one.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes, a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king