“You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

Bearing Fruit: Cultivating the Garden of Our Hearts

Gardens are an important setting in Scripture. Adam and Eve are created in the Garden of Eden, born out of God’s great love for us (Genesis 2). Jesus prays and suffers in the Garden of Gethsemane before he is arrested and crucified (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46)—again, out of love for us.

This Lent, the Catholic Women in Business team is meditating on our interior garden, where we can invite God to help us bear fruit. As St. Augustine wrote, “The turn of phrase by which the man is said to work the land, which is already land, into also being landscaped and fertile, is the same as the one by which God is said to work the man, who was already a man, into also being godfearing and wise.”

Every year, we hear at Mass on Ash Wednesday, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” I cannot help thinking of changing seasons when I hear those words. I see the “dust” as a reminder of my frail existence, but I am also reminded of the promise in my existence. Like dust, I am a lowly creature of God, but like the soil, I am teeming with the possibility of life and abundance.

In Genesis, God created humankind from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). In one sense, we are all dirt. While this may not sound very uplifting or inspiring, what is inspiring is what God can do with dirt. God can breathe life into dust. Similarly, Isaiah uses an expression that speaks to all who know the crushing weight of heartache, longing for better times, and suffering: God will give to “those who mourn in Zion … a diadem instead of ashes” (Isaiah 61:3).

Ashes are what remains after something has been burned. We cannot breathe new life in them. When we look at them, we do not see life; we see death. Yet, in Isaiah, while the ashes are a reminder of a burned city and the death of many of its residents, there is also a hopeful message centered on the God who can not only give life to ashes but also make something beautiful from them.

This creation of beauty from ashes is a powerful metaphor for what Catholics hope to accomplish during Lent. Often fixated on what we should “give up” for Lent, we can lose track of what the season is meant for: the spiritual growth that springs forth naturally when we begin with a sincere attitude of sacrifice and prayer. Before fruitfulness comes preparation. Before harvest comes cultivation. Before Easter comes Lent.

As with the changing seasons, we experience changing seasons in our work, lifestyle, and relationships, such as the birth of a child or a new job. In these life seasons, certain roles take priority, such as motherhood and its associated activities. New roles influence our values and dominate the season, which can last a short while or a number of years. Whatever your season, below are some tips that can help your faith flourish during your Lenten journey.

Before Entering Lent, Be Aware of Your Current Season of Life

By identifying your current life season and its priority roles, you can provide a foundation to experience greater peace. Take some time now to identify your current core spiritual, personal, and professional roles.

Different seasons will require rebalancing our three resources of time, money, and talent. Consider:

Time

Everyone has the same 24 hours per day, seven days each week. How we choose to invest it makes the difference—for example, are we spending more time in front of the television or studying God’s Word?

Money

Money is a commitment of energy, a conversion of our time into dollars. We all need money; the question to consider is how much is enough for your needs in your current season of life?

Talents

Our strengths contribute value to our family, our work, and the Church, which we can effectively transfer to other areas of our life. Where can you contribute your talents?

During Lent, Observe Your Growth

The word “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten,” meaning “spring.” Lent helps us know that it's time to weed out the old and welcome the tender shoots of new growth. 

During this period, cultivating a bountiful spiritual life requires us to make good use of Lent's traditional activities of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. With fasting, we hope to harvest a better focus. Whatever we abstain from during Lent, the intent is to weed out and prune away anything that chokes off our view of the holy.

Giving away some of what we have—our time, talent, or treasure—is, of course, a way of sharing our harvest with those who need it most. Self-sacrifice is more potent for us as givers, as repeated growth springs from repeated giving.

Prayer helps us to work in communion with God, the source of all life. He is like the water and light that make for a fruitful harvest. Search out the buckets and sprinklers that funnel God's grace where you need it most.

After Lent, Prepare for Your Next Season

Certain seasons bring imbalance. For example, a new role at work or as a parent will impact other areas of life and become times of challenge and growth. We must prepare through integrated life planning that invests in our next season of our lives. Consider your next life season—spiritual, personal, and professional. What are its dominant roles and resource needs—the time, money, or talent investment it requires? Being aware enables preparation and proactive planning.

Lent is a time of preparation. When we are in one season, God is preparing us for the next.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Shivonne Sant-Solomon is a wife and mother of two, blessed with the responsibility of raising them in this dynamic world! In all of her work, and in her most important roles as mother and wife, her relationship with God has been and continues to be central, as she is first and foremost a child of God. Over the past 19 years, Shivonne has had the opportunity to work in a variety of commercial roles within the energy industry, as well as assuming the role of a stay-at-home mother to her then-younger kids for three years—a transformational experience indeed, and one where the challenges and due respect are saluted and applauded. As Shivonne continues along her spiritual and professional growth and development paths, she seeks out opportunities to share her faith and contribute and support the achievement of the world’s energy transition goals in caring for God’s creation.