For the letter “L”, Lent is a natural choice of subject, considering the season we Orthodox are in. This year Pascha or “Greek Easter” is five weeks after Western Easter, so we are still in preparation. Everything that we experience or do is placed in the context of our efforts to draw close to Christ and to be ready for the glorious celebration of His Resurrection. If I don’t see that connection on my own, someone around me is sure to say, upon hearing that I’m sick, or my car broke down, or about any number of news items, failings or challenges, “Ah, well, it’s Lent!”
Sloughing off the unnecessary, becoming more like Mary than Martha, letting go, focusing on the eternal things and soaking up the encouragement of our mother the Church through the heart-sustaining services of this period of the calendar — these are some of the things we try to work on.
When on April Fool’s Day my computer’s hard drive failed, I lost several months’ worth of data and many hours of work that I have to do over, including hundreds of photos and I don’t know what else, because somehow my backup program had also failed since December. My Computer Guy was more distressed than I was; I realized deep down that this loss was of nothing essential to my life. I said something like that to him, mentioning Lent, and he remarked lightly that my attitude inspired him to consider what sort of sacrifices he himself ought to be making. “Oh, no,” I wanted to say, “It’s not about making sacrifices!” But exactly what it is about, I wasn’t prepared to expound. I do know that I did not choose to give up a big chunk of visual and literary records.
What Lent is about can be summed up in this prayer that we pray hundreds of times throughout the weeks and the services. It doesn’t say anything about sacrifice or even about food.
The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.
And though to be truthful, there is mention of sacrifice when we come together, it’s in the moving hymn we sing on our knees at one of the Lenten services:
As an evening sacrifice.
I happen to be reading a book that seems very Lenten in its mood and themes. This novel by Eugene Vodolazkin, Laurus, is filling my mind so much the last few weeks, I originally planned to dedicate the whole of “L” to it, even though I’m still in the middle of the book. It’s about the Middle Ages, a holy fool, and kairos. The main character demonstrates the kind of self-emptying that results in making space for God.
His motivation for asceticism is love for someone for whom he wants to pray, and he does not want to be distracted by being too comfortable. Eventually he comes to feel out of touch with his body, almost insensible to its condition, and free. You might think that such a person would also be oblivious to the natural world around him, but Arseny seems to be more intimate with the creation and appreciative of its beauty than the average person. Perhaps the Holy Spirit allows him to see and interact with things more directly and clearly than we who only have our natural senses.
Speaking of Nature, I am trying to cooperate with her and grow some vegetables. On Friday I set out some little lettuces and also some kale and leeks. The lettuce is of two varieties of Romaine: Forellenschluss (which I probably bought for its name that is so fun to say) is the speckled kind on the left in the photo; it’s an heirloom variety from Austria. The plain green is a heat-resistant lettuce from Israel and is named Jericho.
That Lenten prayer is useful all through the day, and everywhere we go. I feel the spirit of love in regard to my garden, but I need the spirit of patience. I pray the Lord takes from me the lust of power, but I don’t expect it will happen as quickly as I lost all those digital photos.
Did you know that “the English word Lent is a shortened form of the Old English word len(c)ten, meaning ‘spring season'”? Whatever hemisphere we live in, we can with God’s help tend our hearts, and make this season the springtime of our soul.
Gladsome Lights 
Good strength!
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Lent, love and lettuces for the letter “L” …there is so much depth and tenderness in this post. “L” stands well for your “Lovely Letter.”
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I love the prayer. I sent it to Bill who is in Romania.
I might grow a few rows of lettuces this year. I never have.
Good Lent.
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Losing the digital photos is a severe test of patience and gratitude. There are many blessings to be thankful for.
Watching Forellenschluss and Jericho grow will be a good start to, “tend our hearts, and make this season the springtime of our soul.”
I wonder how they taste?
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I usually love Romaine – Forellenschluss is said to have “great flavor,” and Jericho has “very crunchy texture.” I haven’t grown lettuce for a very long time, but now with my new raised planting boxes I’m hoping to be able to harvest them before the snails do. 🙂
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Where do the snails come from? They just come from nowhere.
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I just saw this comment and query and I will say that back in the spring the lettuces were huge and delicious!!
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The Lenten prayer is a powerful one. I’m going to copy it out. Thank you.
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Well said, thank you dear friend! and thanks for the links to the open source and inexpensive St Isaac Homilies!!! the librarian in me is thrilled!
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I’m glad you’re reading Laurus! I thought about mentioning it to you, because in a certain way it reminds me of Kristen Lavransdatter (which I read because I read your recommendation about it). The thing that seems similar is the way the authors of both books put themselves back in time, in an unjudging manner, and portray the thoughts and culture of the characters without the sort of modern person’s “interpretive” presentation that is much more common.
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