AECI Lenten 2025 Reflection: 'Steer Us From Hardness of Heart'
Week One, Day 1: Hard Heart vs. Tender Heart
'He who works with his hands and his head
and his heart is an artist' (St. Francis of Assisi)
In terms of spiritual reflection and spiritual observance over a designated time period, it can be refreshing to consider a subject or theme outside of a common dualistic framework that we might gravitate towards. That is to say, to explore a topic free of the tendency to see two fundamental kinds or categories at work. 'Heart' is often contrasted with 'head'. 'Goodness' examined with reference to 'evil'. 'Hope' discussed alongside 'fear'.
This short Lenten course is primarily interested in determining direction or orientation, hence the title 'steer us'. We need to try to be honest about the position or the 'condition' in which we find ourselves and occasionally looking merely at polar opposites can prevent any sense of movement or momentum.
That is why today, we shall begin ( ... perhaps unusually!) with a focus on our 'hands' not our 'hearts'.
What might we do with our hands to show the tender or gentle dimension of ourselves? Will you wash the dishes, make a bed, make somebody else's bed? Will you work in the garden, with soil and water, planting and nourishing as we move into Spring? Will you hand write a note or letter, play a musical instrument, use a comb or hairbrush? Will you gather a child into your arms or simply make a cup of tea or coffee for another?
Pope Francis tells us that 'the hands' are in fact a language of sorts. What might be the origin of that language?
St Francis of Assisi leaves us in no doubt. Both the heart and the head excel when they work in union with our hands.
To think today , how we might all become 'artists'!!
Week One, Day 2: Hard Heart vs. Tender Heart
We shall now look a little more at the wider context of the phrase 'hardness of heart' at the time in which Jesus lived.
Within the Jewish tradition, the 'heart' (in Hebrew. 'Lev') did not denote the physical organ that we have come to learn so much about through modern science and medicine, but the hub of our emotions and our intellect, the 'inner person' which grapples with matters both moral and ethical and spiritual and emotional.
Some Hebrew words , such as 'Ruach/Ruah' (translated as spirit or breath) found within the Torah and the Talmud naturally overlap within this broad field of character and behaviour.
One of the earliest Old Testament references to 'hardness of heart' appears in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 7:13) , as the Pharaoh of Egypt relies on the 'wise men, the sorcerers and the magicians' of his empire and refuses the Hebrew slaves their freedom.
'Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,
and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.'
Today we shall consider another segment of the Old Testament to reflect upon our theme (1 Kings: 3, 16 - 28). Here , King Solomon faces a dilemma , as two women claim that a small infant is their precious child. Read the passage and reflect carefully on the following question:
Did King Solomon show a 'hardness of heart' or a 'tenderness of heart'?
'The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also gave birth; and we were alone; there was no one else with us in the house, only we two were in the house. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your maidservant slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead; but when I looked at it closely in the morning, behold, it was not the child that I had borne.” But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.
Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means slay it.” But the other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.” Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means slay it; she is its mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to render justice' ( (1 Kings: 3, 16 - 28)
Week One, Day 3: Hard Heart vs. Tender Heart
Whatever your thoughts might be surrounding the behaviour of King Solomon in this instance, it would be difficult to suggest that his motivation, in ordering 'a sword to be brought before him', is born from any 'hardness of heart'.
As the story unfolds , we recognise that the focus of King Solomon is upon establishing the 'truth' behind the dispute and that 'the sword' is in fact a catalyst to demonstrating the just and rightful claim of the legitimate mother. The King is not governed by malice or by self importance and he takes a keen interest in the disagreement.
The story also helps us understand a little more about how 'the heart' was perceived, in the context of Hebrew tradition, as the seat of both emotional and intellectual activity. We are to assume that King Solomon was affected internally by what he heard, then confidently draws on his internal powers of wisdom to resolve the issue.
There are echoes of this conviction and confidence in a simple quotation from the legendary professional heavyweight boxer Muhammed Ali (1942 - 2016)
'If my mind can conceive it,
and my heart can believe it -
then I can achieve it'
Today we shall consider two areas of our lives:
How does our belief system/belief systems influence our hearts?
What are your short term goals as we move through the Season of Lent and towards Easter?
Week One, Day 4: Hard Heart vs. Tender Heart
Whether we are aiming for a greater level of inner peace within our hectic lives, or hoping to tackle a particular trait or habit that we feel is hampering our true nature and our spiritual progress, those 'beliefs' we hold to shall need to be embedded within our daily outlook within this Season of Lent.
St. Paul, in his extensive writings to the early Christian communities, leaves us in no doubt.
He pinpoints the heart as the fountain of faith . When our mental and emotional powers still leave us with a void, a longing for fulfilment and for achievement , faith elevates and 'enriches' the very core of our being.
Any human heart touched by faith is a human heart open to unity and to possibility,
'For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'
(Romans 10:10-13)
Week One, Day 5: Hard Heart vs. Tender Heart
During the course of our 2025 Lenten Reflection we shall designate each Monday as a day for meditation on a relevant passage.
Yesterday we touched on St. Paul's understanding of faith and its part in redefining human direction, spiritual progress and fulfilment.
In the passage below, also from the writings of St Paul, we hear of the 'virtues' or qualities that can result when a heart is seized by faith.
Read the passage three times today.
Meditate : With our heart set on the right path, what might we 'bind together' in our daily lives?
'Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.'
(Colossians 3:12 - 14)
Week One, Day 6: Hard Heart vs. Tender Heart
Of course, Lent has a particular significance in terms of our commitment to wider society, to the poor, to the sick and to the vulnerable across the globe.
Almsgiving is one of the 'three pillars' , along with prayer and fasting, that prepares the believer to better comprehend Holy Week and the Easter story. We confront the stark reality and simplicity of our lives, identifying from what it is we need to 'turn away', recognising the Divine within our midst, forging a new relationship, a new beginning.
The qualities that St. Paul highlights in his Letter to the Colossians are those we know our contemporary world lacks. Kindness and patience are a means of healing division and conflict, compassion and humility are a lifeline to those struggling with mental health issues and isolation.
As you strive to bring together or 'bind together' members of the family, friends and neighbours, strangers and outsiders , the heart plays a key role in contemplating a 'unity' and 'harmony' that might otherwise remain unspoken. The heart, as early Christian communities believed, held 'insight' and a transcendent level of hope.
A Mark Twain quotation springs to mind today:
'Good exercise for the heart: reach out and help your neighbour'
Week One, Day 7: Hard Heart vs. Tender Heart
At the end of each weekly theme (every Wednesday in our AECI Lenten Reflection) , we shall conclude with a short prayer that relates to some of the points discussed.
So far, we have considered the Hebrew tradition and the phrase 'hardness of heart' , looked at the central importance of 'faith' as the spiritual springboard behind attitude and behaviour in the writings of St. Paul and considered the 'call' of Lent to respond to the needs of 'our neighbour'.
We must also bear in mind that at any given time and space, we might engage the faculties of heart, mind, body and soul to gauge the right course of action and direction in our pressured lives. There are times when our heart will seek gentleness and stillness, and times when it might long for greater conviction, routine or discipline.
As Week One finishes, we pray for the touch of the Divine to encourage and to empower us:
'Loving God, source of all good,
I come before you with a heart open to your grace.
May your boundless love fill me
And empower me to be a vessel of your peace and your compassion
For all those around me.
Amen.'
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