Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and it marked the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Roman Catholics, like myself, will spend the next forty days doing acts of penance, almsgiving, abstaining and fasting. Lent does not necessarily mean that you “give up something”. I often add a “doing something” to my list of not doing’s. Frankly, sometimes the “doing” is harder than “not doing”. Let me explain what I mean. I like to pray more often during Lent or spend quiet time reading a spiritual book. Surprisingly, disciplining myself so that I can dedicate time to praying and reading becomes a challenge. I allow myself to get engaged in mundane activities and before I know it the day has ended and I’m scrambling to carve out a few extra minutes for spiritual reading.
Yes, Lent is truly a special time. It gives us a finite number of days that we can challenge ourselves to focus on our relationship with God. We fast and abstain with a higher purpose and not merely to shed a few pounds. These acts of discipline, although solitary, are not performed in isolation. 1.2 billion Roman Catholics will be striving to make Lent meaningful to our salvation.
Good thoughts about Lent were written by Sister Joan Chittister. Her words hit a special chord in my heart.
Leave a Reply