(This is a picture of the confessionals at The Catholic Church of The Holy Name of Jesus, Oxford Road, Manchester, England).
What am I up to this weekend? I'm hoping to pop down to the Basilica in D.C. tomorrow to go to confession and then buy a Lenten companion book.
I confess (har har hardy har) that many Catholic bloggers are asking: What are you doing for Lent? What are you giving up? We have many many choices, yeah?
I would like to spend more time with the Lord, be it in increased prayer, daily Mass, and/or an hour of daily Adoration. But to give up something? I am having a difficult time with that because as some other blogger noted, it's easy to give up what you can live without (whether it be easy to or not, initially). I think my worst vices are: eating chocolate (gluttony on that one), judging others too quickly (that self-importance thing), and cussing (yike-ity yikes!). I can turn those into good things: give up chocolate (it can't be that hard - I quit smoking a long long long time ago; the amounts of chocolate I consume is not healthy); every time I find myself being harsh to another I can pray the Act of Contrition; and every time I utter a cuss I could pray an Hail Mary.
In my human wretchedness, God has given me tools (prayer and the Sacraments) to CHOOSE to overcome evil. I won't always ever be successful, but He promises to never abandon me. He won't leave you, either. The point isn't to start out thinking you'll fail at your resolutions, but to try anyway - in and through the Lord's love for you. His love is so uncharted by our hearts, so we must let His cross be our life raft . . . your desire to be with Him your compass, your intention your oars.
May you all attend to your Spiritual duties with the grace God has given each of you individually.
I'm not certain how much or how often during Lent that I will blog, but it is my intention to keep doing so as often as I feel compelled. So, dear friends, I am not going anywhere . . . you all have my prayers. I do desire to write less frequently during Lent - but we'll just see where God leads me. He may decide that you all need a laugh or two during Lent . . . and who am I that I should deny anyone that?
6 comments:
Oh, Lord...don't you go away too!
Yes, yes, we all need a little giggle at some time or the other.
I mean, aren't we s'pose to do this with a smile and not look and act downtrodden or sumpin like that?!!!
Yikes...I too need to watch the mouth, only mine is more of the sarcastic sort instead of the cussin sort. I used to smoke too..many moons ago...19 1/2 years ago, actually. Glad that's not goin on to have to try to flush out again. How bout you? Hey!
Its snowin in Indiana again..is it there?
I'm not going anywhere - only going to write when I feel compelled to (and that seems like "all the time" lately). :-)
Oh, I quit smoking 17 years ago. But, I had one or two here and there over the years (maybe amounting to two packs altogether). The very last one? On my back porch about two years ago? My kids saw me and cried and cried . . . my hubs dad died from a burst anyrism, but if that hadn't got him he only had six months with inoperable lung cancer and he smoked like several industrial chimnies.
No snow here, thank God. I'm officially "over" snow. I'm going to get a long break living in HI, though, and I'm sure I'll miss it come this Christmas.
I posted about Lent too, our practices include MORE prayer, doing more...along with giving up...but I agree that sometimes what we ADD (vs. take away) can have an encouraging effect on our holiness.
I hope we can blog during lent in ways that will nourish our faith. Maybe we could create some sort of special Lenten posts?
Ideas? Like every post needs to say and include why it brings you to greater holiness?
So glad you are not leaving us. I'm still thinking about what to give up myself. It is so hard! If I give up coffee or chocolate I am not sure I will survive - haha! Oh dear!
"His love is so uncharted by our hearts." Well-said, Sarah.
May your Lenten journey be blessed.
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