Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Even non-Catholics, nominal Catholics, and no-longer-Catholics often have some sense or memory of observing this desert period prior to Easter. Many of us recall as children practicing or still practice “giving something up for Lent.” Sometimes it is something easy and specific, like chocolate milk. Sometimes it is more challenging like sweets or television. More recently, we have been encouraged to adopt a penitential positive practice during Lent. Often, though, the purpose of such a practice, in combination with other Lenten observances such as abstinence from meat on Fridays, fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday, is unclear. Two goals of the sacrifice are to recall the sacrifice of Christ and to promote holiness in one’s own life. How, then, does this work? The practice of asceticism as part of a pathway to holiness is very ancient and found in many cultures. Detachment from materialism and slavery to our bodies is widely recognized as promoting the spiritual life. An act of discipline also promotes the spiritual life. Of course these things can be and have been overdone, but in our culture my impression is that overdoing it is rare and the risk of underdoing is much greater. This is not to say that a legalistic approach or trivial approach is useful, although I think that any attention to the spiritual life is better than neglect, given the secularism of our age. The fear of hypocrisy is often used as a rationalization for neglect of one’s interior life or for failure to observe the work of God in our lives. Another rationalization for refusing to observe Lent is a failure. It can be easy to forget a Lenten promise, then on remembering, to give up rather than recommitting and moving on. Obviously this undermines the discipline that was intended by taking on the practice in the first place.
I have found the observance of Lent to be a great spiritual opportunity. It is long enough to develop a new habit but short enough to maintain discipline if the promise is difficult and not meant to be adopted for life. The external observances and reminders are supportive of the Lenten practice, and one’s friends can also be supportive during this time. Some things that I have done over the years as Lenten practices have included: A daily rosary, fasting on Friday mornings, giving up meat and fish for the entire period of Lent, giving up mindless television while not giving up all television, and adding night prayer to my daily routine. I have not always been successful at my Lenten plan, and sometimes have even abandoned the original idea after realizing that it really was not useful. Even though I do not eat much meat, giving up meat and fish completely turns out to be difficult to remember, especially when attending meetings where the food is served and on Saturdays following a Friday when abstaining from meat is already required. Once I tried to give up computer solitaire, and discovered that playing solitaire helped me to think about other things and I was having trouble concentrating. Night prayer also turned out to be difficult to remember to do since it was not a habit and required on-going reorientation. On the other hand, some practices have been overwhelmingly successful at revitalizing my interior life. The year that I pledged to pray the rosary every day kick-started a daily prayer time that I had previously been unable to maintain. Although I have varied this practice since then, I credit that Lent to the prayer life that I have now and to many decisions that have been made since. A short period of fasting turns out to be useful at focusing on the poor and at connecting with the ancient spirituality of Christianity.
It took me a while to get this posted, but it is not to late to consider a more serious observance of Lent if you have not already done so.
From Todays Liturgy:
O Lord, you have been our refuge, from generation to generation; from age to age, you are. (Cf. Ps 90:1-2)
