Day 17: Back to Lent

The events in Rome over the last two days may have distracted us, in a good way, from our observance of Lent.  If our Pope-emeritus could speak to us this morning, he would probably tell us to get back in the spirit of Lent and to focus more on making Christ the center of our lives.  Last night I was pondering and even tweeted this morning that with all that is going on in the Church that "the Spirit is prompting us to something different, something deeper this Lent."  This same Spirit that led Jesus into the desert and came down on the Apostles at Pentecost is the one we turn to now during this time of transition in the Church to not only guide us during this Lenten season but to guide the College of Cardinals as they take on the most solemn task of selecting our new Pontiff.  I invite you to pray to the Holy Spirit frequently during the next few weeks with that age old prayer:

Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of the faithful

and kindle in them

the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit

and they shall be created

and you will renew the face of the earth.