Remember, Man, That Thou Art Dust
It's hard to believe that next Wednesday is already Ash Wednesday! It always seems to get the jump on me. These are the days when all Catholics, good, bad and indifferent, ponder one important question:
What am I going to give up for Lent this year?
Now, you must understand that I was not raised Catholic. If you've been reading The Clam's blog, you see she is currently sweating over who in the family to "come out to" as a Catholic. So most of my Lenten knowledge comes from the neighbor kids, who were not only Catholic, but they also went to Catholic school, wearing actual uniforms and everything, which meant they knew about everything Catholic, right? Therefore, I learned that you must give up something you love for Lent, but you get Sundays off. When you are a kid, that means one thing: give up candy, except on Sundays when you can gorge yourself.
Unfortunately, when I went through RCIA, the priest was more than a little reluctant to talk about uncool things like penance, fasting, sin...you know, all the downers that make the Catholic Church seem to be too demanding of us. Not that that excuses me from not knowing it now, so I am attempting to make up for the deficit now.
Whassup? well...
http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/2007/02/plans-for-lent.html
Sr. Mary Martha (one of the best blogs on the entire internet) has posted about giving things up for Lent. As usual, she is fearless. She's not afraid to call sin sin, but she's always funny about it. In this case she speaks directly to what tends to be a problem for would-be pentitents at Lent: the side benefit. You know..."I can give up candy for Lent, and as a side benefit, I'll probably drop about 5 lbs!" WRONG!!!!! It is NOT pentitence if there's a side benefit, according to Sr. MM. (I am inclined to believe her, especially since I kind of went through this discussion in my head about going on a verrrry strict diet over Lent. My original feeling was that I would be more disciplined to stick to it if the threat of extra years in Purgatory was hanging over my head. Then I thought, "Wait. Would I be doing this for ME or for HIM?")
So The Clam and I have had a discussion about what we can give up that will not give us a side benefit. She came up with a terrific idea, and I am going to use it as well: I am giving up sarcasm for Lent. Now, if you know me at all, you know how difficult that will be for me. My blog may well be really boring for the next several weeks. One of the things I hear as a compliment the most often is how funny I am. I don't have that reputation because I know so many knock-knock jokes. This promises to be difficult for me, since so much of how I see myself is based on my ability to make people laugh.
Of course I will do the requisite fasting as well, but this won't be focused on giving up any particular food.
This promises to be much tougher.
So what about you? What are you giving up for Lent? Also, do you have a book of Lenten reflections? Which one are you using?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on any or all of this!
What am I going to give up for Lent this year?
Now, you must understand that I was not raised Catholic. If you've been reading The Clam's blog, you see she is currently sweating over who in the family to "come out to" as a Catholic. So most of my Lenten knowledge comes from the neighbor kids, who were not only Catholic, but they also went to Catholic school, wearing actual uniforms and everything, which meant they knew about everything Catholic, right? Therefore, I learned that you must give up something you love for Lent, but you get Sundays off. When you are a kid, that means one thing: give up candy, except on Sundays when you can gorge yourself.
Unfortunately, when I went through RCIA, the priest was more than a little reluctant to talk about uncool things like penance, fasting, sin...you know, all the downers that make the Catholic Church seem to be too demanding of us. Not that that excuses me from not knowing it now, so I am attempting to make up for the deficit now.
Whassup? well...
http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/2007/02/plans-for-lent.html
Sr. Mary Martha (one of the best blogs on the entire internet) has posted about giving things up for Lent. As usual, she is fearless. She's not afraid to call sin sin, but she's always funny about it. In this case she speaks directly to what tends to be a problem for would-be pentitents at Lent: the side benefit. You know..."I can give up candy for Lent, and as a side benefit, I'll probably drop about 5 lbs!" WRONG!!!!! It is NOT pentitence if there's a side benefit, according to Sr. MM. (I am inclined to believe her, especially since I kind of went through this discussion in my head about going on a verrrry strict diet over Lent. My original feeling was that I would be more disciplined to stick to it if the threat of extra years in Purgatory was hanging over my head. Then I thought, "Wait. Would I be doing this for ME or for HIM?")
So The Clam and I have had a discussion about what we can give up that will not give us a side benefit. She came up with a terrific idea, and I am going to use it as well: I am giving up sarcasm for Lent. Now, if you know me at all, you know how difficult that will be for me. My blog may well be really boring for the next several weeks. One of the things I hear as a compliment the most often is how funny I am. I don't have that reputation because I know so many knock-knock jokes. This promises to be difficult for me, since so much of how I see myself is based on my ability to make people laugh.
Of course I will do the requisite fasting as well, but this won't be focused on giving up any particular food.
This promises to be much tougher.
So what about you? What are you giving up for Lent? Also, do you have a book of Lenten reflections? Which one are you using?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on any or all of this!
posted by The Big Seester | 12:11 PM
6 Comments:
Are you going to be my cross to bear this Lent, Canuck?
TBS
Now, will you be including non-sarcastic but less-than-perfectly-charitable bits like "Why do we always have to talk about WORDS?!" in your self-denial?
Clam,
Um. No. This is going to be REALLY hard. My goal for this Lent is to have every word that comes out of my mouth be a sincere word. Which means I am really REALLY going to have to think before I open my mouth, because I can snap a zinger without thinking about it - it just pops out there.
I'm already sweating this decision, and Lent hasn't even started yet, but I will say that it will be a real sacrifice on my part.
TBS
Best wishes to you as you embark on this big project. I can identify, as I've decided plunge into something bigger this Lent than I've ever tried before.
One word about sarcasm, though. Isn't it true that it is one of those things that can be looked at as a gift from God, but a gift that needs to be used appropriately?
I think it was St. Teresa of Avila (my newest favorite) who quipped to God, "If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!"
That's a bit of sarcasm that people have identified with for centuries, right? A quick wit isn't bad, it just needs to be channeled appropiately. :-)
CWAM, I think you're right that sarcasm in and of itself doesn't have to be a bad thing. I think it was a great idea, though, for TBS to give it up for Lent. She uses it more than most people I know (and uses it very well, I might add), and I think it's a good exercise in developing an understanding of when to use it and when not to.
Unfortunately for TBS, though, our mother heard about her Lenten intention yesterday and pleaded for her to choose something else. As our mother is moving out of state at the end of March, she wanted to be able to enjoy TBS' wit for the rest of her time here. So now TBS has to find something else to give up...
This blog popped up on my search for something else, but finding it is a great way to start lent.
As a Russian Orthodox christian I started Lent yesterday afternoon after Divine Liturgy and 'Forgiveness' Vespers, tacked on at the end of the liturgy.
'Giving something up for Lent' is an unusual notion for me. The disciplines we Orthodox take on are more or less part of what Lent means.
Increased prayers, prayers and hymns reflective on Lent and Easter and used only during Lent, specific ceremonies such as Veneration of the Icons on Orthodox Sunday, Veneration of the Cross...this used to be in the old Western rite for Good Friday...all these subtle changes remind us we are metaphorically embarked upon the road to Jerusalem. Sort of what the Stations of the Cross were established for I believe. Even the melodies for Litany responses are in minor keys.
Our meals reflect getting ready for the Feast of feasts. Dairy and meat are not served, but fish can be used on two days, Annunciation I think, and one of the Sundays. Not sure but we will be told by our calendars.
So in sum: We Orthodox continue with established traditions that serve the purpose of self regulation, ongoing communion with God and with each other. In the present instance, when Easter bursts forth with radiance in our hearts, minds and souls, replacing Lenten practices with Paschal ones serves to bring the Resurrection to mind, body and soul.
If a person is an intellectual, she or he will by now have pruned all these things away as impedimenta. Thank you, Mr. Spock.
Thank you for providing the chance to reflect with you on what Lent can mean. I used to add (ugh!) to the word 'Lent' but that was then and this is now.
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