Now that we are into the season of Lent, I wonder how many
of us Catholics really take it seriously.
Most of us observe the Lenten requirements, no meat on Friday, and
fasting Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and many of us give up something, but is
that enough? Are we missing the true
meaning and cheating ourselves of the graces we could be obtaining?
I admit I am guilty.
Yes, I do my annual abstinence from chocolate routine. Chocolate is one of my daily cravings, but I
can do without it. I find substitutes
for my cravings so I don’t really miss them.
The tough stuff, the beverage I really like, well I’m not willing to
sacrifice. Okay, I go to Stations of the
Cross on Friday evenings, and attend Lenten soup suppers with a guest speaker
for some spiritual enhancement, but all of these things seem of little
benefit.
Lots of times, we Catholics can fall into a pattern of just
going through the motions. Even our
prayer before meals can be rattled off without giving it much thought. In fact, our minds are probably on locating
the catsup more than asking God to bless our meal. Repetition can make any task mundane and
automatic. Lent is a good time to slow
down and give some thought to what we are doing, or not doing.
Maybe one little thing could make a big difference in what
Lent means to us. Why not do something
nice and unexpected for a friend or acquaintance? Better yet, do something nice for a complete
stranger. Maybe pay for someone’s meal
at a restaurant, or send some money anonymously to a family in need. Use your imagination to make the world a
little better. It can’t be that
difficult in our polarized society to show some kindness. Even a friendly smile or a compliment can be
life-changing for someone who is down.
Let’s give it a try.
