Walter Hilton was one of the most popular writers in late medieval England, an Augustinian canon and author of numerous English and Latin works of spirituality. (Canons were like monks, living in a community and ordered by a common rule, but not strictly cloistered—they were often clergy and did pastoral work.) One of his works was The Scale of Perfection, a discussion on the reformation of the soul addressed to a female anchorite. Hilton was foremost a teacher of the work of “keeping the heart," of maintaining and nourishing, attending and listening, and transforming: “Be thou well quick and ready about the keeping of thine heart!” is a paraphrase of many of his sentences.
This Lent, in the Seasons letter, we will be considering this idea of Keeping the Heart as a focus for fasting, prayer and giving. These three acts of submission to the Lord in our daily lives, as we prepare for Easter, can be directed especially towards preparing our hearts for the recognition of our glorious redemption by Jesus Christ on the cross.
The inward-looking act of grieving for our sins, repentance and receiving God's forgiveness, through fasting and prayer, is then turned towards grace and charity towards others in giving of our resources. Every Lent we practice a more intensely focused season of the acts of repentance that we enjoy every day in our walk with the Lord.
During this Lent, let us ask the Lord to dig up some of the hard and rocky soil in our hearts, that may have lain dormant for years, to pull up the weeds that strangle His word in our lives, and to prepare soil for the seed of His gospel. He can bring ongoing salvation (sozo) to hard ground in our hearts we hadn't even realized was there!
Activities of the week
Root vegetables are in season and make the most delicious, comforting soups. Carrots, onions, and potatoes are perhaps the most popular among this special group that also includes beets, celery root, kohlrabi, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips. Roots are some of the most nutrient-dense vegetables around and they are almost universally a good source of several vitamins, iron, and fiber. Try a KLC favorite recipe here!
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