February 2026 Oblate Reflections, Christ the King Priory, Schuyler, Nebraska
Theme: Love and Lent; Lectio Divina: Rule of St. Benedict: Chapter 49: Pictured above: The oldest copy of the Rule of Saint Benedict, from the eighth century.
What is your first thought when you consider the season of Lent? Many of us think of giving up sweets, donating to good causes, reading spiritual books or devotions, or going to Mass daily or more often. St. Benedict devotes an entire chapter of The Rule to how monks should practice Lent. He instructs that “the life of a monk should be a continuous Lent.” As an oblate, or lay member of a Benedictine monastery, seeking to live the life of a monk in the world, this can sound like a tall order. Fortunately, Benedict knows that we are only human, that everything must be done in moderation. He writes, “few…have the strength for this.”
We consider what he might mean by the ideal of a “continuous Lent” as well as other words or phrases that resonate with our oblate community during our Lectio Divina discussion.
A continuous Lent. The holy season of Lent, Benedict writes, is a time “to keep its manner of life most pure and to wash away…the negligences of other times.” He offers specific ideas: avoiding evil habits, praying with tears, reading, compunction of heart, and self-denial. Unlike a New Year’s resolution, which we often resolve to add or subtract from our lives (and often lose track of what we resolved to do), a continuous Lent encourages us to keep checking in with our spiritual journey.
Our intentions are not one-and-done. We fall; we get up—again and again. Our spiritual lives can be likened to a spiral—a continuous journey in which we return to learn anew. Lent is a continuous preparation for Easter—a time of resurrection, new life, and beginning again. Even when our hearts are pierced by our own suffering and by the suffering of the world, there is a promise of something new being born, something resurrected. Joy will come again.
To wash away. An image Benedict (and Jesus) often used to encourage forgiveness, renewal, and beginning again is washing or cleansing. Lent is a reminder of our wholeness, our holiness, and the Divine spark within us. Praying with tears, as Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane, can intensify our prayers. Our prayers are a physical and emotional response to our suffering, and somehow, I believe, God sees our suffering and desires to comfort us, to wash away all that brings pain, that weighs us down from the “negligences of other times” and/or keeps us from living freely.
A fitting manner. Benedict suggests many possible resolutions for Lent. Consider “washing away” or cleansing your soul (with spiritual companionship, a good confession, or reading), cleansing your body (abstaining from food or alcohol), and cleansing your environment (cleaning a room, giving away things you are attached to). Consider healing damaged relationships, seeking reconciliation, apologizing for mistakes, or working on past wounds and disappointments as a cleansing practice.
Our spiritual work is never done, yet another reason for “continuous Lent”—we cannot take on so much at once. We must remember that our lives are a marathon, not a sprint. Benedict might have used the image of the tortoise rather than a hare in advising how to observe Lent. He advises that we “look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing.” Lent should not be a miserable experience, but an opportunity for great joy, to connect with the Divine within us, to feel the touch of the Holy Spirit that may have been covered for a time. What we wash away is the muck that covers our joy. We become new! We are given hope that there is something after our suffering. There is joy in our efforts to work toward a continuous Lent.
May your Lent be fruitful and joy-filled!
More reflections on Lent:
Gather Into One: A Sacred Journey
Being Benedictine 
February 15, 2026 at 4:59 pm
Wonderful spinning out of the sometimes difficult concept in this chapter of The Rule. Thanks for sharing!
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