Start of Lent

So for Lent I am doing something different, instead of doing nothing but hitting fish fry's on Friday's. I am fasting on Wednesday's. I am taking time in the evening to read in a few Daily readers. I am also using the Centering Prayer app from Contemplative Outreach.

I am taking the time to delve into Contemplative study and set up a spiritual practice. Lent is supposed to be about mourning and renewal. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It is recognizing our own mortality and being reborn from the ashes into something new. This is done by looking inward towards ourselves to become closer to God. To be brutal honest with oneself and seek God's grace. To spend time with God. Jesus himself withdrew to pray and be closer to God.

So today I started the meditation practice using the app. It is suggested to use a word or mantra during the meditation. For some reason, the words "Abba, forgive me" popped in my head and I started to use that. In the middle of my meditation, my cat Nicodemus came up and started to head butt me, purring loudly and walking and rubbing on me and then settled across my chest almost in a hug. At first this was really distracting and kind of angering to me. Here I was trying to delve deep and get closer to God, using my mantra and concentrating. In the midst of this annoyance I realized something. This was God forgiving me, his way of showing it. I am here, I love you. I forgive you.

That conclusion may seem crazy to some, but I see , hear and feel God everywhere. It is one of the reason's I love hiking. God is present in everything and everyone. We just need to lift the veil from our eyes, from our ego to see and meet Him.