Joyful Transformation

Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. Lent consists of the forty days before Easter. In the western Church, we skip over the Sundays when we count the days of Lent, because Sunday is always the joyful celebration of the Resurrection. Therefore, the first day of Lent in the western Church is always a Wednesday, commonly known as Ash Wednesday.

(taken from this website)

It is most appropriate on Ash Wednesday, when we begin a period of sober reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection.

Now I know that our tradition does not normally observe Lent and I am not asking you to do so here. However, one of my blog friends has suggested we do a day of “blog prayer” and I suggested we do it on Ash Wednesday which this year falls on March 1st. What better way to reflect on Jesus temptation in the dessert than by praying for each other.

This is the plea that Albone posted:

I have this crazy idea I want to share with you. Let's get all of the bloggers we know together and pray! Let's pick a day and a time and post our prayers for each other on our respective blogs. Let's, just for a short time, unite and draw closer to God and each other!What do you think? Can we pull off a blog prayer chain? Do you wanna try it? If so, contact your fellow bloggers and let them know! We will try to set up a time to do it.

So the day is set, March 1st, 2006. Will you pass the word and join us in a day of “blog-prayer”?