Day 17 of Lent: March 21, 2025

Rising from the Ashes: A Lenten Devotional on Clement of Rome and the Phoenix

Do you recall Clement of Rome from your early church history studies? To be honest I didn’t but when his name came up in a book, I was reading. I looked him up on Google and of course headed down the Google rabbit hole.

So, Clement of Rome was one of the first leaders of the Christian Church after the apostles, serving as Bishop of Rome in the late first century. (The Bishop of Rome is now known as the Pope.) The tradition of the church holds that he was a disciple of the apostles, possibly even mentioned by Paul in his writings:

"Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life."   Philippians 4:3

Clement is probably best known for writing 1st Clement, a letter to the church in Corinth around 96 CE. The Corinthian church was experiencing division, and Clement wrote to remind them of the importance of humility, unity, and obedience to God’s order. His letter is one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament and was widely read in early Christian communities. It almost became part of the New Testament along with several other writings that were determined to be important and worthy of study but not rising to the level of Holy Scripture.

What caught my attention is that in 1 Clement, Clement uses the legend of the phoenix to illustrate the promise of resurrection. He describes how the mythical bird, when it grows old, builds a nest, sets itself on fire, and is consumed—only to rise again from its own ashes. He writes:

"Do we then think it to be a great and marvelous thing, if the Creator of the universe shall cause those who have served Him in holiness, in the confidence of a good faith, seeing that He shows to us even by a bird the magnificence of His promise?" (1 Clement 25:1-5)

This imagery was meant to reassure believers that God’s power extends beyond death. Just as Christ rose from the grave, so too will His followers experience new life in Him.

During Lent, we walk the path of self-examination, repentance, and renewal. It is a time of refinement, when we acknowledge the things in us that must die so that we might experience the fullness of life in Christ. Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, Lent calls us to let go of what weighs us down—sin, selfishness, doubt—so that we might emerge renewed and transformed by God’s grace.

The words of Isaiah 61:3 capture this beautifully:

"To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

Lent is not just about giving up; it is about preparing for resurrection. It is about believing that God is not finished with us yet, that He is always working to bring new life where there was once death.

Reflection Questions

What needs to be "burned away" in your life so that you can experience renewal in Christ?

In what ways has God brought beauty from ashes in your spiritual journey?

How does the promise of resurrection give you hope during this season of Lent?

Closing Prayer

God of new beginnings, You are the One who brings life from death, light from darkness, and beauty from ashes. As we walk this Lenten path, help us to surrender what holds us back. Burn away our pride, our fears, our distractions, and let Your refining fire make us new. May we, like the phoenix, rise in the power of Your resurrection and walk boldly in the light of Christ. Amen.