This Wednesday the Church entered into the penitential season of Lent. The word “lent” comes from the Old English word for “Spring”. I used to consider that Lent got that name because it always comes around in the springtime, but now I realize that Lent is a spring time for our souls, a time of hope and new growth. That is why it is exciting and joyful. In his Rule for Monks our father St. Benedict describes Lent in exactly the terms of joy…
