Appreciating for Lament

4th March 2026

During Lent I have been tidying up my office, and reading some letters and papers long buried in my filing system. They reminded me of some quite painful times in my past.  As I read them, I felt the sharp pain of their legacy. However, as I sat with the uncomfortable feelings, I recalled the words of Josef Pieper in Happiness and Contemplation. He wrote,
 
                      The happiness of contemplation is a true happiness,
                                         indeed the supreme happiness;
                                          but it is founded upon sorrow.


Contemplation is about looking at things as they really are, including the face of the suffering God, the suffering world, and my own painful past. I realized that lament is a gift, for it allowed me to contemplate the painful and hold it in my heart without being overwhelmed by it. It allowed me to see how those painful times have contributed to the person I am today. That person is the one who is loved and embraced by God. May you, this week in Lent, have a renewed appreciation for lament, as you contemplate the reality of the suffering God, the suffering world, and the sorrows of your own heart.


Brian Holliday  
Anam Cara for the Guiding Committee  
                                                                                               Photo by Marko Lengyel on Unsplash