I hate to admit this, but Lent for me this year did not arrive with the “big bang” that it traditionally does. I usually mark the beginning of Lent with a dramatic declaration to God of what I am going to give up, the charities that will benefit from my almsgiving and the promise to be a better person than I was on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

It seems, to me at least, that this year’s penitential season in preparation of Easter is more like a continuation of the “Lent” that began almost a year ago with the self-isolation, quarantine and social distancing we have been practicing since last March.

In a way, it is not a stretch to liken this past COVID-riddled year to Lent. As a matter of fact, our word “quarantine” is related to “quadragesima,” the Latin word for Lent, and “quaranta giorni,” the Italian words for “40 days”. The term dates back to the 14th century when the bubonic plague was decimating Europe. Ships arriving in seaports would have to be isolated for 40 days to determine if crew members aboard those vessels were infected with the disease.

Traditionally, as a sign of penance, we Catholics “give-up” a favorite treat or favorite activity during Lent. I thought about giving up my New Year’s resolutions for 40 days, but quickly rejected that idea. 

The “giving up” that I usually do during this time seems a little anticlimactic given what we have already given up this past year: going out to dinner, socializing with friends, strolling the mall, attending concerts and sporting events, big family gatherings. Considering that, forgoing a candy bar or a donut or not binge watching a favorite television program just doesn’t seem to me to have the “oomph” it did in past years.

So, the dilemma for me was what to do for Lent in a time of pandemic. Of course, I am committed to observing meatless Fridays and days of fasting, but it took me a while to figure out just what I could do to make this special time more spiritually intense. And what did I decide on? Nothing – or more specifically, silence.

Since working in isolation at home and having no fear of disturbing coworkers’ sensibilities or violating office decorum, I had taken to playing music while I work. I have replaced office chatter and background noise with music: generally classical and opera, but sometimes (I am ashamed to admit) ‘70s disco. I enjoy it and it makes my home office a little less lonely.

However, for Lent, I have vowed to work in silence. It is my prayer that without the musical distraction, I will be more open and attentive to God’s voice. I was inspired to do this by reading the Old Testament and the Psalms. 

 Daily reading the Bible, by the way, has enhanced my observance of Lent. Both the Old and New Testament are wonderful sources of strength and inspiration. I have chosen to read the Old Testament during the 40 days of Lent. I will concentrate on the New Testament during the 40 days after Easter. 

In my Lenten Bible reading, I was admonished to “be silent in the Lord’s presence and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7) because the prophet Elijah said that God speaks with “a still small voice.” (Kings 19:11). In Ecclesiastes (3:7-8), I was reminded that there is “a time to be silent;” and in Exodus 14:14, I was promised that “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

And so, that is what I have chosen to do. My offering to God this Lent will be my silence and my attention. And, each morning ­– and several times throughout the day – I will repeat the words of Samuel: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” (Samuel 3:10).