Lenten Message
Lent 20
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
As we enter the sacred season of Lent, the Church invites us into forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—a journey that is at once deeply personal and profoundly communal because we are not only individuals seeking conversion of heart; we are a community of learning, faith, and service walking together toward Easter.
Lent begins in humility. On Ash Wednesday, we hear the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words are meant to anchor us in truth, to remind us that we are finite, dependent on God, and in need of grace.
Our Catholic culture, which prizes achievement, productivity, and recognition, gently calls us back this Lent to our deepest identity—not as scholars, professionals in formation, or even leaders—but as beloved children of God.
A Season of Honest Reflection
The academic year moves quickly. Assignments, research, meetings, practices, performances, and deadlines fill our days. Lent offers us a sacred pause. It asks us to examine not only what we are doing, but who we are becoming through what we decide to do or not to do.
For students, Lent may be a time to reflect on the habits that shape your character. What distractions keep you from your best self? Where have comparison, anxiety, or fear taken root? How might God be inviting you to greater freedom.
For faculty, Lent may prompt reflection on vocation. Teaching and scholarship are not merely careers; they are forms of service to truth. In what ways is your work drawing others closer to wisdom? How might you model intellectual humility and moral courage in the classroom?
For staff and administrators, Lent can be a time to rediscover the sacred dimension of your daily work. Every email answered, every space prepared, every policy crafted, every student supported—these are not small things. They are acts of stewardship that sustain the life of this community.
Lent asks each of us: Where do I need conversion? Where is God inviting me to grow?
Prayer: Deepening Our Relationship with God
Our university environment celebrates inquiry and dialogue. For that reason, Lent reminds us that prayer is the deepest form of conversation. Prayer is not an escape from responsibility; it is the wellspring of clarity and strength.
This season challenges us to create space for silence. In a world of constant notifications and noise, silence can feel uncomfortable. Yet it is in silence that we hear God’s voice most clearly. Consider setting aside time each day—even a few minutes—for Scripture, reflection, or quiet gratitude.
As a Catholic university, UIW is blessed with chapels, liturgies, and communal worship. These are central to our mission. When we gather for Mass, to pray, or to participate in reconciliation, we remember that our pursuit of knowledge is rooted in a greater truth: The Incarnate Word Himself.
Prayer reorders our priorities and reminds us that true success is measured by fidelity and love.
Fasting: Creating Space for What Matters Most
Fasting is often misunderstood as mere self-denial. But at its heart, fasting is about freedom. It is about loosening the grip of whatever controls us so that we may cling more fully to God.
In our university, fasting means more than abstaining from certain foods. It means fasting from cynicism in academic debate. Fasting from harsh judgments of ourselves or others. Fasting from the relentless drive to prove our worth.
Perhaps this Lent, we can fast from excessive busyness, creating margin for rest and reflection. Perhaps we fast from digital distractions, making room for deeper conversations. Perhaps we fast from indifference, allowing our hearts to be moved by the needs of those around.
True fasting opens space for compassion, for creativity, for grace.
Almsgiving: Living Our Mission of Service
UIW is not only a place of learning; it is also a community committed to the common good. Lent calls us outward. Almsgiving reminds us that faith is never private. It is lived in solidarity with others, especially the poor and vulnerable.
We are surrounded by opportunities to serve—locally and globally. Service projects, outreach initiatives, research that addresses social challenges, mentorship of those in need—all of these are forms of almsgiving.
Yet almsgiving is not only about organized programs. It is also found in everyday kindness: welcoming a new student, supporting a colleague, listening patiently to someone who is struggling.
In a world marked by division and polarization, our university can be a witness to a different way—one grounded in dignity, dialogue, and charity. Lent challenges us to examine how we contribute to that witness.
Walking Together Toward Easter
Lent is not a season of despair. It is a journey toward hope. The ashes on our foreheads will one day give way to the light of the Easter candle. The cross we contemplate will lead to resurrection.
As a university community, we do not walk this path alone. We support one another through encouragement, accountability, and prayer. When one member struggles, the whole community feels it. When one rejoices, we all share in the joy.
An Invitation
This Lent, I invite each of us to choose one concrete practice in prayer, one in fasting, and one in almsgiving. Let these practices not be burdens, but pathways—small, faithful steps toward deeper communion with God and one another.
Let us remember that holiness is not reserved for a few extraordinary individuals. It is the daily choice to love well, to seek truth sincerely, and to act justly. At our beloved UIW, these choices shape not only our personal lives but the culture we create together.
As we begin this sacred season of Lent, may we have the courage to confront our weaknesses, the humility to seek forgiveness, and the faith to trust in God’s mercy.
And when Easter dawns, may we find that our hearts—like the stone rolled away from the tomb—have been moved, making space for new life.
Let us walk together toward the hope of the Resurrection.
Sr. Walter Maher, CCVI
VP of Mission and Ministry