Mediocre is such an odd word. It’s Latin root is ‘medius’ meaning middle and ‘ocris’ which means rugged mountain. So mediocre is being about half way up the mountain. I don’t think any of us want to be mediocre in any area of our lives, but ’mediocre' is a good word for us to consider during this season of Lent in which we are called to go all in with spiritual practices for 40 days.
Spiritual mediocrity can mean something different for each of us. I think that we can agree that we want to keep climbing the mountain, the entire 40 days of Lent, and not be stuck halfway up with habits of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that fizzle, become ho-hum, or are cast aside altogether.
We are all called to greatness. Each. And. Every. One. Of. Us. How we get there is very individual, between each of us and God. It is not something we can do on our own and it often doesn’t feel like the world is helping us much.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”
The secular world doesn’t encourage the sacrifice and selflessness that we seek during Lent. It is however, the giving more of ourselves that helps us lean into Jesus and his love more deeply, richly and purely.
I want Lent to be meaningful for you and for me. I want to pray more, be faithful to holy and healthy habits that will help me grow closer to Jesus and grow in holiness. Of course, our desire needs to be paired with solid actions that we discern and implement to see real, sustainable changes in our attitudes and actions, to avoid mediocrity.
Journaling is something I have added to my prayer life this Lent, so I can reflect on the Gospel, a saint, or my love (or lack of love) of neighbor. I haven’t journaled for a while, but so far it is revealing a lot about my motivations, where I am weak or strong, and I think this practice will bear good fruit over time.
As we seek to implement Lenten actions that help us rise above mediocrity, the word ‘courageous’ comes to mind. Feeling called to a new spiritual or physical practice this Lent? Do it. Go for it. Be courageous and give your yes to God!
I’ll close with these encouraging words St. Pope John Paul II, “It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”