Fast To Feast As You Learn To Listen This Lent

In the Christian tradition, Lent is a season of fasting and prayer so as to participate in the sufferings of Christ and to be more spiritually present to God.  While fasting is seen as abstaining from food or other personal behaviors, fasting is also an invitation to feast on practices that help us become our best selves.

May this Lenten exhortation (attributed to Pope Francis) encourage you to fast and feast as you bring light into darkness on the journey to Easter.

May you fast from hurting words and say kind words
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude
Fast from anger and be filled with patience
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope
Fast from worries and trust in God
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity
Fast from pressures and be prayerful
Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others
Fast from grudges and be reconciled
Fast from words and be silent so you can listen

To listen is to pay attention to the Divine stirrings as we become more present to ourselves and to God.  Listening is not easy.  It is a skill.  To fast from words so to listen is one way we teach spiritual direction at Rolling Ridge as we embrace a contemplative spirituality.  If you are interested in developing your spiritual ears to listen and to become wholly present to the Holy Presence in everyone and everything, we invite you to consider joining our upcoming Gateways to God cohort.

Gateways to God is our Rolling Ridge certificate program in missional spiritual direction. Missional Spiritual Direction Training teaches people to walk alongside and listen to the deep nudges of God within the heart and soul journey of another.  Through six onsite retreats over two years, you will learn about the tradition of spiritual guidance and discover the journey of the soul by listening through pain and injustice to find the beautiful balance of contemplation and action.  Gateways opens doors through deep listening in spiritual companionship.  We hope that you will open the door of your heart and consider joining our next cohort beginning in the fall of 2024.  Click here for more information.  Registration is now open online.

If you are looking for a spiritual director or if you are a spiritual director looking for a community of support and resourcing, please reach out.  Rolling Ridge is here as a safe and sacred space of deep listening and spiritual companioning in the Christian contemplative tradition.

May the season of Lent invite you to listen and be more present to the Divine stirrings within.