Tea at Trianon: I Love Lent

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, February 26, 2009

I Love Lent

Lent is one of the best seasons of the year for me. I never look forward to it the way I do to Christmas, but once Lent is underway, it is a happy and peaceful time. Facing reality can be both healing and satisfying. Lent is a public acknowledgment that life is a valley of tears, the world is a dangerous place, and we are all going to die. It is like one big AA meeting where, instead of admitting to alcoholism, everyone confesses to being a sinner, a dysfunctional being who has made a mess of his life and the lives of others. But Lent is here; recovery has begun. It is time to clean up the spilled milk, pick up the pieces, and start all over again. Lent is the hour of truth; staring the truth in the face can be disarming but it can also produce the peace and joy that only penitence in Christ can bring. Share

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: I do so love this wonderful season also. How can a soul in love with the Lord detest a season that will bring him closer to the Lord? Thank God for this purifying time and for His endless mercy!; February 26, 2009 at 8:04:00 AM EST
Alan Phipps said...: I'm with you.; February 26, 2009 at 8:49:00 AM EST
elena maria vidal said...: Yes, it is a happy time for those who love God.; February 26, 2009 at 9:41:00 AM EST
Linda said...: Thank you for this beautiful post.; February 26, 2009 at 11:25:00 AM EST
Lucy said...: For Christians, Lent is the preparation for the most important Holy Day, of the year:Easter. It's a time for renewal and shedding of the old. Almost, like a second chance or rebirth. It is indeed a very special time. If you live it through repentance and devotion,you really do feel the change needed to welcome Easter.; February 26, 2009 at 5:12:00 PM EST
Alexandra said...: Me too, actually.

It's humbling to have to do this(purgation) year after year. Which just goes to show how much we need Him. We just cannot do it ourselves. If I could only get this through my head!;) Ach, the pride.; March 4, 2009 at 10:08:00 PM EST