What I Get Out of Lent (vs. What I Give Up)

It has taken me years to fully buy into the idea that Ash Wednesday (and Lent in general for that matter) is good.  I have hated fasting, and for the longest time, I never really understood it.  Until about seven years ago.  And I'll admit that from time-to-time, I slip back into my old habits, believing that fasting is a chore.  As long as I snap myself out of it and turn my attitude around, I'm doing ok. Since that is what people mainly think of when they think of Lent, that became my only focus...what I'm giving up.  I never really focused on what I was gaining during the season of Lent.  When I shifted my attention to that, everything changed!

Fasting

Fasting is not just some thing that we Catholics invented.  In fact, if you look at any number of the fad diets that are going on these days, many of them promote the idea of fasting.  So why, when the Church tells us to fast for one day, do we freak out?

Well, simple.  People don't like being told what to do.  People don't like to suffer.  And most importantly, people don't like being told to suffer.  It's a vicious cycle.

But fasting is important. We need to purge ourselves of the toxins in our lives.  I get all judgmental and on my high horse (no, I'm not bragging about that, but it's the truth) when I hear people talk about giving up soda or chocolate for Lent.  It makes me crazy.  It's not that those things are wrong or bad to give up, I just wonder about how those people are experiencing spiritual development because of their sacrifice. Is this for the sake of spiritual development, or to lose a few pounds?  Let me tell you, and this I know for certain:  if you are completing your lenten sacrifice in order to lose weight, you're doing it wrong!

That's right.  I said it.  If you are contributing to your own, personal, vanity by making your Lenten Sacrifice about food, than it's not a Lenten Sacrifice.  In fact, it's the exact opposite of that.  It's actually contributing to your sinfulness by focusing your attention on yourself.  Vanity is sinful.

Ok, so don't go out and say that you are giving up vanity for Lent, and therefore, you are going to eat a ton of food all through Lent and gain a lot of weight, either.  Remember, gluttony is a sin, too.

But giving up vanity is a good thing for Lent.  For girls that might mean giving up their mascara, or all makeup in general.  For guys it might mean...well...I'm clueless about guys.  I don't know what they could give up, but I know that there are things that they could give up, in order to give up vanity for lent.

The big question to ask yourself is:  "where is my sinfulness?"  To do that in prayer, asking God to give you the answer is best.  And trust me, He will give you the answer.  If you struggle with vanity, give up something that you do because of vanity.  If you struggle with purity, focus your attention on fixing that sin.  Maybe you could give up using your computer in private, so you don't face the temptation to look at bad things.  There are a number of ways you could go.  Do you struggle with pride?  With greed?  With anger?  With jealousy?  Look closely at your sinfulness, and chose your sacrifice that way.  It's the best way to go.

Prayer

Ok, so we've covered fasting, which is the most talked about aspect of Lent, but what about prayer and almsgiving?  These are both important, too.

Prayer, of course, is something that is vital to our lives.  I think that people don't give enough time to prayer because they don't always see the fruits of their prayers.  But if we could really see how effective our prayers are, we would never stop praying.  There is nothing more important than prayer.  Focus on prayer this Lent.  Really find a way to add it to your routine:  a rosary in the morning to start your day, 15 minutes of silent prayer during lunch, a Divine Mercy Chaplet in the afternoon, and 15 more minutes of silent prayer at the end of the day.  Focus on prayers of praise.  Love God with all your heart, and tell Him about His good works!  Spend time loving God!

Alms Giving

I have heard of a lot of really great things that people have done for Alms Giving during Lent.  From writing letters daily to people in their lives in order to help them to see how loved they are, to giving money to the needy (especially those who give up spending money during Lent), to various service projects.  You know, we fast in order to get rid of something in our lives that causes us to sin, but we also add something that causes us to love.

What I GET OUT OF Lent (vs. what I give up)

There is one thing that I have discovered that I truly get out of Lent.  One thing that is important, good, amazing and important.  That main thing is freedom.  Yes, I get healing, I get endurance, I get all kinds of good things.  But my favorite is freedom.  With freedom, I

To the Top

I remember my first experience with Eucharistic Adoration very clearly.  I was on a retreat.  It was my first time going on retreat.  I had never even heard of Eucharistic Adoration before.  It was the first retreat that my youth minister ever led as a youth minister, and I was a little high school freshmen, not really sure of what I was getting myself into by attending this retreat.  It was a huge leap of faith for me to go, but I really did want to attend that weekend.

I don't know if the team just failed at giving a clear explanation of what Adoration was all about, or if I just wasn't paying attention, but I thought that it was the strangest experience.  I had no real idea about what was going on.  I didn't understand it, or the reactions that everyone else was having, or the reactions that I was having, but I did understand that what was going on was huge.

So I was a little bit afraid.  I think that was an appropriate reaction, too.  I wasn't afraid in the sense that I believed I was in danger.  And I wouldn't necessarily say that I was in "awe," either.  I just knew that what I was looking at wasn't just a piece of bread in a monstrance.  I knew that Jesus was present, and that His presence meant power.  And power is always scary.

Adoration is still a bit of a scary thing for me.  I am surrounded by people in my life who tend to have very powerful experiences with Adoration, and, well, I am just not one of those people.  But I still have good experiences.

To me, Adoration is a lot like holding a sleeping new born baby.  A baby too small to really do anything on its own.  It can't sit.  It can't talk.  It just sits in my arms, soft, gentle, and asleep.  As I hold that baby, I don't necessarily have to do any action to experience love.  It is through the quiet and the calm that I receive my peace.  It's not because of the words that the baby says, because it says no words.  It is not through its actions or its motivations for those actions.  All that has to happen is that the baby sleeps, and I get the amazing privilege of being with it and holding it during its slumber.  Babies are true miracles.

This is my experience of Adoration.  When I first heard what St. John Vianney said about Adoration:  "I look at him and he looks at me," I was astonished at his description, for his experience was the same as mine.  I'm sure that I experience amazing works from Christ during my time in Adoration, things that aren't obvious in my life.  But I know without a doubt that I look at Jesus, and that He looks at me, and that itself is good.  That, itself, is enough.  Is there anything better than to be truly, purely, perfectly, and gloriously seen by the one you love?  By the one who loves you back?  There is nothing greater.

Special Edition: Lent

Lent is rapidly approaching, and I'm excited for it. I like the season if Lent because it challenges me to get rid if the gunk in my life that keeps me from God. It cleanses and purifies my soul, which is always in great need of being cleansed and purified. As I pray about what I should do this Lent, the questions that I reflect on are "What is keeping me from God right now?" "What are my biggest and most common sins?" and "How can I use my fasting, prayer and alms giving to purify my soul?"
All three components (fasting, alms giving and prayer) are necessary for a holy Lent.

Fasting

Otherwise called "what you give up." I am annoying to people because, when they tell me what they are giving up, I ask "and how will that bring you closer to God?" And it's surprising how often they don't have an answer. My point in asking that question is not to accuse, although it is often interpreted that way. I just want to make sure that their fasting isn't without purpose. It's far too easy to just give up soda or chocolate or Starbucks or meat without having a purpose behind it. Those things can have a purpose, it just depends on the way the sacrifice is being handled, and the motivation behind it. Remember, vanity is always sinful. And the purpose of Lent is to rid your life of sinfulness, not to add to it. If your Lenten experience causes you to think, "I will lose weight with this, too," it's wrong. Don't try to kill two birds with one stone.  Because you can't get closer to God (by fasting) and further from God (by sinning by increasing your vanity) simultaneously.  I will say it again: Lent should not add to your vanity.
When choosing something for your Lenten fast, do it with prayer. Ask God to show you what you should give up. Let's take a look at the Seven Deadly sins, and how you can fight those you struggle with the most to help your relationship with God.
Vanity:  If you struggle with vanity (which, let's face it, most Americans do), He might tell you to give up mascara or to only wear the same four outfits during the entire season (you are encouraged to wash them, though)
Sloth:  If you struggle with sloth (spiritual laziness), He might ask you to give up sleeping in so that you can have an extra half hour of prayer time in the morning. 
Lust:  If you struggle with lust, He might ask you to give up the Internet which can lead you to lustful thoughts. 
Pride/Envy:  If you struggle with pride or envy, He might ask you to give up the words "I" and "me." 
Gluttony/Greed:  If you struggle with gluttony, if you struggle with greed, give up the things that you love (like your electronic devices). 
Wrath:  If you struggle with anger, He might ask you to give up blame by taking the blame for things (like St Therese of Lisieux was known to do). See how those things oppose the seven deadly sins?

Prayer

Prayer should not add to your vanity either. I saw a suggestion in the Life Teen website that said you should try doing a sit-up for every word of the Hail Mary. Now, most of the stuff in the Life Teen website is really good, but I just don't see anything positive about this suggestion. It takes away the reverence from the prayer, and it adds to the person's vanity. The Hail Mary is a prayer that should be said with complete concentration and total reverence. Turning it into a workout is, as far as I'm concerned, like desecrating it. The Hail Mary should promote our humility, not our pride. Why can't you just say a Hail Mary, and really focus on it, and then do 42 sit ups later? Why combine those things? Commit to saying a Hail Mary every day!
We need to start making prayer more intentional. No more multitasking during prayer. Use Lent as a time to practice praying in silence, focusing solely on God. Maybe you do so for only five minutes every day during Lent. Five minutes of concentrated prayer is more effective that 20 minutes of prayer while working out or driving (which, lets face it, when you're driving, you should be concentrated on that task). It's hard enough to hear God's voice when you're focused, let alone when you're not.

Alms Giving

Now some people think that they don't need to fast because they add something to their routine. But we are called to fast AND give alms AND pray, which means that we are called to rid ourselves of something harmful and add something good. It's not one or the other!  One of the suggestions that I liked on the Life Teen website was to leave a note with a positive message everywhere you go during Lent.  That's tricky.  One friend I have writes a letter to someone new every day, to tell them that she loves them.  But, again, to get the most benefit out of this, you should ask yourself the same question, "What do I need to do in order to get closer to God?"  If you need to be more thankful, than maybe you should spend time every day thanking God for the things in your life (the good things, and the bad things).  Focus it on God, though.  It's good to be thankful for the people in your life.  And you should thank them for the things they do for you.  But, you should also remember to thank God for giving them to you.  Lent should bring you close to God.  That's the goal.

Irrelevant and Irreverent

Irrelevant and irreverent. This is what Lent has become. It saddens me that people view Lent as a physical fitness program rather than a spiritually purifying liturgical season.  It's ok to be uncomfortable.  When you think about giving up mascara for Lent, and that makes your stomach drop, that's a good indication that you have a problem with vanity, and that maybe you should focus on that.  Does eating chocolate actively hurt your relationship with God?  Really?  If it does, than by all means, give it up!  But I challenge you to make your Lenten experience that easy (I know, right?!  Like giving up chocolate is easy!).  The more difficult the thing is, the better the results.  I promise.

But our bodies are temples.  Shouldn't we be building them up?

I don't want there to be any confusion about what I am saying, so I am going to spend some time here, clarifying a few things.  I can hear the excuses for doing something to better your body already:  but my body is a temple.  Well, yes, that's true.  Your body is a temple, but showing it off is sinful.  To those who want to do sit ups while praying the Hail Mary, remember, you can do as many sit ups as you like.  But as soon as you choose an outfit that shows those good abs off, you're crossing the line into vanity.  As soon as you brag about how much weight you've lost during Lent, or get all excited about the compliments you receive, or seek compliments, you're crossing the line into vanity.  As soon as you write out this Facebook status:  "I have to go shopping because my pants size is smaller," it's vanity.  Ask God to tell you what to give up, because otherwise, it's too easy to make it easy.  He will show you where you struggle, and what you need to do to be better.  Ask Him for help, and no matter how difficult the challenge that He gives you is, trust that obedience to Him will make it worth it.  

On the Edge: The Motivation

It's 4:14 am.  I'm riding in my car as I pass a bank that has a sign flashing the time and the temperature.  I read the time and think, "What was God thinking when He created 4:00 am?  What a cruel joke!"  Then I see the temperature.  19 degrees.  And I think, "What was God thinking when He created 19 degrees?"  I think about all of those people who are asleep in their nice warm beds.  They are right where they should be.

I am not quite awake as I arrive at the pool.  But the moment I jump in that cool water, life suddenly returns to my body.  I am awake, and freezing.  I have two choices.  Stay put and freeze, or swim and warm up.  I choose to swim.  Half way down the first length of the pool, I can already notice that I'm beginning to warm up.  By the time I reach the end, I'm feeling it more.  By the time I complete my first full lap, I'm at the appropriate temperature.  Swim practices are difficult this early in the morning.  More difficult than later practices.  My body resists in unique ways.  It wants to be asleep.  It's not used to this.  By the end of the season, though, it will be.

I am rushed when I arrive at school, smelling of chlorine that a shower simply can't erase, hair wet, or should I say, frozen.  I may be tired, but I feel great after my morning swim.  My body is relaxed and energized at the same time.  Lunch time finds me starving.  At the end of the school day, I have to go home to quickly finish my homework, so that I can eat dinner, pack my swim bag for the next morning, and go to bed early.  I know that tomorrow's early swim practice will require the same struggle that today's did.  And I can't wait!

This was the story of my high school experience.  It was one of the things I loved the absolute most about high school.  It may sound silly, but I have jealousy in my heart when I think back to those days.  Yes, that's right, I'm jealous of myself.  Because at one time, I got to experience a sport that challenged me in ways that I didn't know I could be challenged, but in ways that I loved to be challenged.  I miss swimming so much.

What is it that makes us do these crazy things?  Why do we get up at crazy hours, or stay up until crazy hours, to participate in the activities we love?  Is it because we are crazy?  Kind of, but not exactly.  It's because we are in love.

It's never been shocking that people would do crazy things out of love.  Whether it's for the love of a sport, a musical instrument, a person, a pet, or God, if you fall in love with it, you're going to go to great lengths to maintain, protect and even better it. We will wake up at crazy hours of the night to practice.  We will pay huge amounts of money.  We will move our lives.  Anything that we can do, we will.  Things we can't do, we still will.  We will at least try.

I recently went through a really dark time in my life.  And when I was going through these things, my prayer life seemed to stop all together.  I wouldn't say that I blamed God for what I was going through.  I wasn't ever mad at Him.  I was frustrated with my circumstances, and I was very depressed.  Depression often causes people to give up on the activities that they love, to find less fulfillment in them, to lose motivation to do even the stuff that they enjoy. I think that this is the reason why I stopped praying.  My situation wasn't God's fault.  I understood that, even at that time.  I just didn't have the motivation to pray.

One day during this dark time, I was thinking about a Bible verse that has always meant a lot to me, and that means a lot to a lot of people.  Jeremiah 29:11, which says, "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!  plans to give you a future full of hope."  I don't remember exactly why I was thinking about this verse, but for all I know, it just popped into my head. My reaction to this verse surprised me at the time: "Yeah, right," I rather sarcastitcally thought.  But then something strange happened.  I recalled a strange encounter I had with a stranger in a bathroom once.

The basement of the church doesn't always get used a lot.  Especially during the day.  So, I don't really ever expect for anyone to be in the women's bathroom downstairs.  Well, one day I went in there, and sure enough, there was a lady.  I didn't know her.  She was attending the funeral that was being held at the Church that day.  I happened to be wearing one of our youth group shirts that day, that had a Bible verse from Jeremiah.  It was actually Jeremiah 1:5.  As I was washing my hands, she was standing behind me, waiting to wash her hands, and she read my shirt, and just started talking.  "Do you know that my favorite Bible verse comes from Jeremiah?"  

I was startled, and thought, "I don't even know you.  How on Earth would I know that?"  But I just smiled and became awkward and said, "No!  Which verse?"  

"Jeremiah 29:11-15" she answered.  "Do you know it?" she asked.  Well, I did know verse 11, because I have always known that verse, at least, since I've actually been Catholic.  

I quoted it to her:  "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!  Plans to give you future full of hope."  

 "You don't know the rest?" she asked.  Silly me!  I had been standing there, congratulating myself on my ability to recite any verse at all, and there she was, disappointed that I didn't know more!  Silly pride!  

"Well, let me tell you!  It continues, 'When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you.  When you look for me, you will find me.  Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot; I will gather you together from all the nations and all the places to which I have banished you, says the Lord, and bring you back to the place from which I have exiled you.'"  She paused.  "Isn't that great?" she asked.  

"Yes, that is great," I sincerely answered. I then thanked her for sharing, and she thanked me for listening.  And our conversation was over.  I have never seen her again.

This memory came to my mind when I was experiencing that dark time in my life.  I remembered liking the rest of the verses, but I couldn't remember what they said.  So I picked up my Bible and read them.  I realized at that moment that I had been asking God for the wrong things.  I had been asking Him to heal my hurts, or to find me a husband, or friends even, or to give me more money, or just something.  But I never really asked Him for me to find Him.  Not since I was a little girl.  I had been living my life feeling sorry for myself for not being happy for whatever reason I could imagine, when all the while, the thing that would make me the most happy was right there, waiting for me to ask for help.  "When you look for me," says God, "you will find me."  All this time, I hadn't been seeking God.  I had only been seeking what He could give me.

What I found was that He had been there all along.  As soon as I prayed, asking God to be a bigger part in my life, to help me seek Him, I realized that He had been there the entire time.  He was just outside the door of my heart, and all I had to do was to let Him in.  And there was a lot of peace that followed from doing that.  It turns out, that when we say that Jesus was knocking on our door, He's not just quietly and calmly knocking.  He's pounding on that door.  Shouting, "Let me in!  Let me in!  Let me in!"  And when we finally do, He let's us have peace.  Jesus is a gentleman, in that He's not going to come in under our roof unless we invite Him in.  But, at the same time, He's not going to stay outside, quietly giving up on us, either!

Jesus isn't hiding from us.  We hide ourselves from Him.  And we think we're such good hiders! 

Jesus has always been there, coming to me, seeking me and my heart.  He has been seeking me since before I was born.  He has been seeking me in subtle ways, and in obvious ways.  And yes, I had allowed Him in early on in my own life.  But at some point, I shut Him out again.  It seems I am constantly letting Him in and shutting Him out.  I have to remember that it's important to keep opening that door.  

Once I realized all of this, it became much easier to keep opening that door.  Once I realized that He was right there, seeking me.  Waiting for me to seek Him.  Jesus makes the first move.  When I pray, I am just responding.

My spiritual life became much easier once I gave Jesus the burden.  When He says, in that verse, that he will change your lot, He means it!  Sometimes He changes the stuff in your life, but that's rare.  Most of the time, He changes your heart.  Your attitude.  See, I had been living in this awful world, where I knew that it was right to love God, and I knew that I should teach that to those around me, but somehow, deep in my heart, I didn't know if I truly loved Him.  I knew that I wanted to truly love Him.  I desired that with my whole heart.  But I didn't know if I did, actually, love Him.  Little did I know that all I had to do was to ask for help.  "Jesus, help me love You.  Jesus, help me want You."  That short prayer changed me like you wouldn't believe.  

I know that it's hard to find the motivation to pray sometimes.  But you don't have to make it too complicated.  Good prayer isn't about how hard you "try," it's about just being in the presence of God, and allowing Him to do the work.  And that's where I find my motivation.  God does most of the work when I pray!  I just have to sit back and let Him work in me.  And He does!  He replenishes my energy and gives me the strength, courage, and endurance to be better.  To do the work necessary to be a holy person.  

Give Jesus the burden.  Ask Him to come to you.  And I think that you'll see that He is already there.  We are incapable of making the first move when it comes to God.  He is always there, waiting for us to respond.  So do it.  Respond.  

"Of the Week's"

My Dog and My God

Every morning, when I wake up, my dog is so excited to see me.  He starts the day jumping up and down, trying to lick my face, and acting like a complete psychopath!  It's really cute.

Oh to be a psychopath for God!  I think that the most important way to start our day is with prayer.  Even if it's just as simple as making the sign of the cross and offering the day to Jesus.  To be as excited about seeing Jesus as my dog is about seeing me, would make my day so wonderful, no matter what happens during the rest of that day.  So, I encourage you, when you wake up, not to curse God for making the morning, but to thank Him, and to offer your day to Him.

Bible Verse of the Week 

I really like this Bible verse, because it reminds me that no matter how much people sin, God will always use what we create for the greater good.  Joseph, of all people, could relate to that, since his brothers tried to kill him, then sold him into slavery, and then Joseph was thrown in jail after being falsely accused of a crime.  But God used all of that, and He used Joseph's patience, to bring about a fruitful and full life for Joseph.  Just remember, that God is good, even when people aren't.

"But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid.  Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'"

Saint Quote of the Week:   

Sometimes the writings of the Saints are so complicated and difficult that I have no idea what they are saying.  And sometimes they are so simple that I am astonished by the fact that I, myself, did not say it.  That's how this week's quote is for me.  It's so simple, and yet, so profound.  

"Since Christ Himself said, 'This is My Body' who shall dare to doubt that It is His Body?" - Saint Cyril of Jerusalem.

Prayer of the Week:  

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy Presence rest.
No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' Name,
The Saviour of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
O joy of all the meek!
But what to those who find? Ah!  This
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus!  our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.  Amen.    

Video of the Week:  

This is my favorite hymn, and it is sung by one of my favorite artists. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhvaDJTUmrU