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Lent Reflections

• The Catholic Cemeteries Association

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Lent is more than just a time of sacrifice; it’s an opportunity for transformation and healing, especially for those navigating grief. In this episode, we explore the essential themes of Lent, highlighting how this season of reflection can offer hope and healing. 

We invite you to engage with us, share your thoughts, and walk this Lenten journey together as a community. 


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Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for joining us. Hello everyone and welcome back to CC Airwaves. My name is Paige Metillo and I'm here with my co-host, joel Hansel. Joel, I feel like I already know the answer, but how are you doing today?

Speaker 2:

I'm doing better now that the record button is lit up.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so for our listeners we did just record this episode. Well, I should say we did speak into the microphones. Good as it was before, but you know I'm excited. Today is a beautiful day outside. It's the first time I've seen the sun in quite a few weeks, considering we just had that cold storm.

Speaker 2:

I'm still falling out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, even though there was a small hiccup in the road, there are still positives today. So just taking a second to remind Joel of that. And Joel, you're wearing such a bright yellow color Be uplifted, you gotta wear shades, yeah. So before we get started today, I just want to take a moment to welcome our new listeners. Joel and I have noticed a large increase of new listeners lately and we're just so grateful. You have chosen to listen to CCR Waves, so thank you for joining us. We are so happy to have you here. That being said, we would like to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves and the Catholic Cemeteries Association. So, to start, the Catholic Cemeteries Association meets the needs of individuals, families and parishes surrounding the death of a loved one. We provide pre-planning services, personalized headstones and monthly grave support groups. We have over 20 cemeteries and eight main office locations throughout Northeast Ohio. Now, as I already said, my name is Paige Mattillo. I have been working here for about three years and I am the marketing manager.

Speaker 2:

Joel has been working here a lot longer than I have, so I'll let him take away Just a little bit, just a little longer than you.

Speaker 1:

Just a little longer. How long has it been?

Speaker 2:

It'll be 25 years in May.

Speaker 1:

That's a really good time, and he has loved every single second of it.

Speaker 2:

Every second of it.

Speaker 1:

And Joel has been here with the podcast since it officially started in January of 2020. So we have been around. Well, CC Airwaves has been around for about five years, so thank you to our listeners, whether you are old, whether you're new. We just want to thank you so much for supporting the podcast, so if you'd like to stay updated on our latest episodes, you can follow us on social media, which is at CC Airwaves, on Instagram and Facebook. We're also in the process of getting our TikTok started, so you can follow us on there as well. Now let's get started.

Speaker 2:

Today we're going to reflect on the season of Lent, which is a time of reflection, sacrifice and healing. It is often a time of spiritual introspection and self-examination, which leads us to a closer relationship with God. But not many people realize that Lent is also deeply connected to grief, reminding us that in our sorrow, god's grace is always present.

Speaker 1:

And I was just at St Dominic this weekend and my priest actually said that Lent is not just about giving something up but about giving something back. So whether that's through prayer, acts of kindness or services to others and I really love that perspective and I think it's really important that people understand that that Lent just isn't just about sacrifice, it's also about transformation and as we go through this episode, we want you to reflect on what Lent means in your own life and how it can offer healing, especially in times of grief.

Speaker 2:

Lent is one of the most significant seasons in the Catholic Church. It lasts for 40 days, which symbolizes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert preparing for his ministry, and during that time he faced temptation and he relied on God's strength to overcome it. So Lent calls us to reflect on our own lives, detach from worldly distractions and to refocus our hearts on Christ.

Speaker 1:

And our Bereavement Coordinator, rhonda Abrams, recently shared with me Beyond the Broken Heart, which is authored by Julie Yarbrough, and it beautifully describes how Lent and grief intertwine. She writes that both experiences push us to look inward, so similar to what Joel just said, how we have to reflect on our own lives, and it helps us to see who we really are and what we value and what we're holding on to. In grief, as in Lent, we come face to face with our deepest emotions and our faith is tested. And we may just ask is our faith just something we carry on the surface or is it the foundation that sustains us? And I think that is what truly makes a difference Someone who is truly faith-filled. It is the foundation that sustains us. It's not just something that we carry surface level. It's something that we feel so deeply and it's the foundation that we are.

Speaker 2:

For anyone that's visited our offices you may have seen that there's a display of care notes which are just little pamphlets, little booklet things. That kind of help you work through your situation in grief.

Speaker 1:

They go over different topics, like if you've lost a mother, a father, a grandparent, a child. It's very situational.

Speaker 2:

Right, there's a care note that's called a Lent journey through grief and it reminds us that Lent is a season that reflects the passages of grief. So, just as we move through these different stages of mourning once or after a loved one passes away, once or after a loved one passes away Lent takes us through different spiritual passages. So, for example, from loss to gain, fear to trust, darkness to light and ultimately, from death to life. And these movements mirror the journey of grief and offer hope that even in sorrow we're moving toward renewal. You know, I remember when I was in Catholic elementary school my parents took us to church I can't remember which night of the week, but it was earlier in the week. It wasn't like the Holy Thursday or Good Friday, but it was a Tenebrae service, that's what it was called. It was called Tenebrae and during that service, like, all the lights in the church go dark and then you just have, like, all these candles. So going from that darkness to the light was really kind of exemplified in that Tenebrae service. Very powerful, very moving.

Speaker 1:

But that reminds you kind of how Lent takes us through the series of passages.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Well. And the time of year also. If you think about it, you know we're coming out of the winter and we're moving into the spring. The days are getting longer.

Speaker 1:

The sun is coming out more.

Speaker 2:

We're going to spring forward here soon. Oh no, you know we have Easter, you know, hopefully, you know it's a nice 60, 65 degree day and you've got, you know, the bright pink flowers and yellow flowers and so you got that lightness. So you know, we start here at Ash Wednesday and it's still kind of gloomy and gray and depressing. And you get to Easter and it should be light and sunshine and just full of happiness.

Speaker 1:

Yeah Well, whether you are grieving or whether you're healing, how can you observe Lent in a meaningful way? And so let's break that down into the three key practices, which is prayer, fasting and almsgiving. So to start, lent is a time to strengthen our prayer life. This could mean setting more time aside for personal reflection, praying the rosary, attending daily mass or even just sitting in silence with God. I know that when I'm on my way home and I have a few moments to relax and unwind, that's often when I take my few moments with God and I sit there in the silence and reflect. So we can do this Any day, any time. When we dedicate time to prayer, we open ourselves up to God's presence in our lives, and in times of grief, prayer can become an anchor that keeps us steady when emotions feel overwhelming.

Speaker 2:

The second practice you have here is fasting. And again reflecting back to my time in Catholic elementary school. It was always about what are you going to give up? I'm going to give up candy, I'm going to give up this or that, and it was always food related, it seemed.

Speaker 2:

But fasting isn't just about giving up food, it's about creating space for God. So our fast might look like removing distractions. So you know, staying away from excessive social media, trying to stay away from negativity, trying to remove yourself from unhealthy thoughts. You mentioned Julie Yarbrough earlier and in her reflection on grief and Lent she mentions that grief often leaves behind an emotional residue. It's like negativity, cynicism or resentment, and we don't even know it's there oftentimes. So Lent is an opportunity to purge these things and make room for healing, sort of like a spring cleaning for our spiritual lives, cleaning for our our spiritual lives. So, whereas, as the weather's getting nicer, we're opening up the windows and the doors and we're kind of blowing out the stink, so to speak, you can do the same thing with your spiritual life through fasting, so that you can purge negativity, cynicism and resentment.

Speaker 1:

And on the opposite end of that, similar to how I was talking about earlier with the priest from St Dominic, almsgiving Giving to others is a central theme of Lent, so giving back. This might mean donating to a charity, helping a neighbor or simply offering encouragement to someone in need, or simply offering encouragement to someone in need. Almsgiving is about extending Christ's love to others and recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God. For those grieving, acts of service can be a powerful way to channel sorrow into purpose. And even if you aren't grieving but you know someone who is simply offering that person encouragement, is almsgiving, and I would encourage you to do that this season.

Speaker 2:

Oftentimes during Lent, you might notice at your parish different renewals take place. There might be a men's renewal, a women's renewal, different retreats. Lent is a time for's renewal. A women's renewal different retreats, and Lent is a time for spiritual renewal and especially for those who are grieving, it can be especially meaningful. It reminds us that the suffering is not the end of the journey. Jesus suffered before his resurrection, so we too. We're going to experience pain. We're going to experience loss. Jesus experienced pain, he experienced loss, but we are never without hope.

Speaker 1:

And back to the care note that you had mentioned earlier, joel. I've read it. It describes beautifully how Lent provides a path through grief and, once again, moving from darkness to light. We find hope in knowing that death does not have the final word. And moving from loss to gain. We realize that grief affirms not only what we have lost but also what remains the love, the gratitude and the memories of our loved ones. Moving from fear to trust, we can remember Jesus's own moments of anguish and his decision to entrust himself to God. And moving from sorrow to joy, we find peace in the belief that nothing and no one is ever truly lost in God's hands. So once again, it goes back to those moments of transition and transformation. So, even if we might be feeling sorrowful now, eventually we will feel joy. Even though it's dark now, there will be light. It's similar to how you know if it's storming, there is going to be a rainbow.

Speaker 2:

A scripture verse that might be very helpful to those who are grieving comes from the first letter of Peter, chapter 5, verse 10 and 11. And it goes and after you have suffered for a little while, the god of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen and establish you. This passage reminds us that God's grace is the love that restores us and makes us whole again.

Speaker 1:

Now, as we wrap up today's episode, I just want to take a moment to encourage you to reflect. What are you going to be giving up or giving back this Lent? How will you use this season to grow in faith and love? And if you are grieving, how can Lent offer you healing and peace? We'd love to hear back from you. Share your Lenten journey with us on our social media by following at CC Airwaves, sending us a message. As I said earlier, you can send us an email, but let's walk this journey together as a faith-filled community. Once again, thank you so much for joining us and we'll see you next time.