Lenten Observance

I'm not very good at the formalities of religion. If something doesn't draw me closer to God, or remind me of my need to love my neighbour, I tend to lose interest and wander off. Nevertheless, doing something for Lent has always been part of my discipleship.

 

Giving up chocolate or alcohol, both of which I'm not particularly addicted to, and wouldn't particularly mourn the loss off, never worked, because immediately on making the resolution to abstain, I become obsessed with eating chocolate and drinking alcohol. That ancient serpent, having landed on a great ploy around Day 9, and having no reason to change tack, hisses, "Did God say... ?" and within days, I'm toast.

 

I once declared to anyone willing to listen, "This year, I'm giving up being unkind to people!" This was a conversation stopper for sure. People who are familiar only with my angelic public persona, would gasp in amazement, and fall over themselves to say that they didn't believe that anyone as radiant as I am, could ever be unkind! Very flattering, Just follow me on Twitter, would be my reply these days. @meffrancis if you're interested.

 

To be fair to myself, I wasn't expecting too many instances of unkindness to deal with, but what a revelation! Choking back a sarcastic comeback, holding fire on the irritable retort, and repressing the urge to roll my eyes happened far my often that I anticipated. I ended Lent that year with a humbling uptick in self-awareness.

 

Finally, I gave up giving up stuff for Lent, and this works a treat. That would be the same year that my Resolution was to never have a never self-defeating and totally pointless Resolution. The only one I've ever kept beyond January 8th.

 

I've started Taking Things Up for Lent instead. A daily conscious prayer routine, weekly Catechesis, and Priority Number One: eliminating waste.

 

I recommend eliminating waste as a spiritual practice for several reasons. Firstly, it induces a warm-glow of virtue, secondly, it enables a ceaseless examination of conscience, and thirdly, it saves you money. Win-win-win.

 

Every light gets turned off. Radiators in unused rooms are switched to 'frost' my 1970's "Left Over For Tomorrow" cook book has been dusted off ... Everything I do has come under scrutiny, and this, I think, is pretty much what Lent is about.

 

 

 

 

 

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