Ahoy There! Here Comes Lent

Lent approaches.

Tis the season!

Starting date: Wednesday, February twenty-second. It begins with ashes — a reminder of impending death, always around the corner — and the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

Well, really it begins with a rad party. Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday, wherein we empty our cupboards of sweets, pile the ice cream high, and feast, feast, feast, because tomorrow we die.

Er, die to ourselves.

This means three things: Prayer, fasting, almsgiving.

There are a few basic rules for fasting on specific days, but mostly it is left up to the individual. One should discern what one needs to do to increase in holiness.

One should increase or rejuvenate one’s prayer during these forty days.

One should fast in some way.

One should give to the poor.

I’ve done massive repenting lately and wholeheartedly believe in the Gospel soooooo…

The only question is, what should I do this year?

My mom sometimes does “forty bags for Lent” in which, every day, she fills a bag with miscellaneous items floating around the house and gives them to Goodwill, which I guess you could say is the poor because they sell things really cheap and are technically a charity. We tend to buy lots of things from there, and we’ve always been poor.

Circle of life, haha.

It doesn’t matter how big the bags are. You just find one, fill it with what you realize you don’t need, and give away.

As one of my profs said in college, whatever you don’t need belongs to the poor. This is kind of a rule of Catholicism. At the very least, one is required to give ten percent of one’s income — tithing.

I’m not totally sure what I’m going to do.

Last year I finally learned to give generously, fast frequently, and pray constantly.

Giving generously is a joy.

Fasting allows one to reflect and love others better.

Praying constantly brings patience and wisdom and happiness.

I think maybe this Lent I will return to the usuals of childhood. Can’t overdue with the fasting, one does need energy to do God’s work in life, and I definitely shouldn’t lose more weight. I also have like no money, haha, so I think I will just continue work on the gifts I’m making my friends for their respective weddings and graduations this year — these bring me great joy.

I like the two birds, one stone spiritual approach.

Or three birds, one stone?

Give up chocolate: increase self-control and decrease sugar intake, decrease acne. Boom, three birds, one stone.

Institute time limit on showering, stick to specific short regimen: make my dad happier about the water bill, stop getting lost in thought and ruining my hair. Boom, three birds, one stone.

Get up every day at the same time and bike to Mass — instead of driving — to save gas.

Ok, to be honest, this one actually might just kill me!

I have forcibly changed my circadian rhythm I don’t know how many times. In childhood, there was the get-downstairs-for-lessons-prayer-starts-at-nine rule. When I was really motivated as a high school freshman, I would get up every day at eight before my mom was up. Actually, come to think of it, my first semester of college, when I was really motivated, I had 8 a.m. classes every day and loved it.

I do tend to default to night owl, though, and it drives my mom crazy.

One must remember that God invites one to radical love. To love one’s family is a virtue, to work hard for them and be detail-oriented for their good. One can either view the irritations of those one lives with as defects in them…or rebukes and invitations to greater holiness in oneself.

Practice makes perfect, and holiness is really just — spiritual perfection.

There was one saint, can’t remember the name, who would practice the holy minute and jump out of bed in the morning and kiss the floor in thanks to God for another day.

I wonder if I can do this.

I usually groan through three alarms.

Hmmmm.

Well, what are you going to do for Lent, reader?