My Lenten reading has me in Jeremiah. It wasn’t that long ago I was in Jeremiah in my Daily Office readings… It is a constant pummeling, but for good reason.
We are often too deaf to hear what the Spirit is saying, so it bears repeating. Lent is a time to deal with our callousness. Our spiritual ears have built up wax. Our eyesight is blurry. We need to refocus.
More than anything, we need to hear the voice of the Spirit.
We need to pay attention to what is going on in Jeremiah because it is going on right in front of us in our time:
Criminals are found among my people;
they set traps to catch people,
like hunters lying in wait.
Like a cage full of birds,
so their houses are full of loot.
No wonder they are rich and powerful
and have grown fat and sleek!
To be sure, their evil deeds exceed all limits,
and yet they prosper.
They are indifferent to the plight of the orphan,
reluctant to defend the rights of the poor. (Jeremiah 5:26-28, CEB)
These particular Lenten readings lead me back to the Great Litany in the Book of Common Prayer. These are times when I need words the Church has used in the past to call on God for mercy. Their words help me form my own words that then lead me to deeper repentance.
A portion:
From all blindness of hear; from pride, vanity, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all lack of charity,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all disordered and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver us.
Our callous hearts need to be brought back to life. Let our hearts hear the words of the Spirit and let our spirits fall in repentance before our King.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 
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