Bishop Andrew Cozzens said he has looked forward to Lent ever since becoming an adult. “I think it’s my favorite time of year simply because of the gift of the spiritual intensity of the time,” he said. “It’s been in those seasons of Lent where I’ve focused especially on my life of prayer and strengthening that life that I was able to grow through it.”
Bishop Cozzens made his remarks for the 9 p.m. Feb. 26 episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Maria Wiering, editor-in-chief of The Catholic Spirit, interviewed him about Lent’s focus on fasting, prayer and almsgiving. He said the three areas address all the aspects of the spiritual life: body, soul and the way people live in the world.
First and foremost, he said, is prayer.
“Lent is about growing in my relationship with God. And so even the discipline that I do of my (body) is really a way to open up my heart to receive him,” he said.
“I discipline my body,” the bishop continued. “I fast from things in this world so that I might experience that I wasn’t made for this world and that I’m made for God. So I allow myself to experience physical hunger so that I get in touch with the deeper spiritual hunger in my heart.”
The point of Lent is not self-perfection, not just to make oneself better, Bishop Cozzens said, “but to make me more like Jesus, which means I give myself more,” where a person seeks “the beautiful … purity of heart that comes when we find ways to make a gift of ourselves through almsgiving — not just money — but even our time and our energy.”
Asked how to grow in one’s relationship with God by spending more time in prayer, Bishop Cozzens said the key is “simply that you try to do it.”
Set aside everything, he said, and focus on God alone for 15 to 20 minutes.
“It doesn’t really matter what you do in that 15 to 20 minutes,” he said. “God will meet you there.”
Wiering asked Bishop Cozzens if he has memories of a particular Lent that brought him closer to the Lord. His response included naming something he gave up for Lent “many years ago” that he said changed his life. To find out what that is, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show at 9 p.m. Feb. 26, 1 p.m. Feb. 27 or 2 p.m. Feb. 28 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
“Practicing Catholic” is produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Other guest interviews on the Feb. 26 “Practicing Catholic” show are Father Tom Margevicius, who describes an upcoming series of talks on St. Joseph called “Cuppa Joe,” and native Minnesotan Bishop Donald DeGrood, who describes his first year as bishop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic
Practicing Catholic on Spotify
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