So it begins: Lent. Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of a season of sacrifice and prayer (and general holiness, I suppose).
People's attitudes about Lent are always interesting to me. While we have standards across the board for how to proceed through Lent, everyone seems to do so slightly differently. It was only recently that I realized my parents actually took it easy on us when helping us fulfill our Lenten obligations. We did not eat meat on Fridays, but fasting only meant not eating between meals. We didn't cut back on what we ate during those meals; we just didn't snack in between. (That was a big deal for me when I was young. Now, not so much, since I don't really snack much.) I suppose that was sufficient when we were younger. That required sacrifice and awareness of the day and season. In the past few years, I've realized I can do more, especially with fasting, so I'm working on that a little more each year.
Another element of Lent on which people differ involves the sharing of sacrifices. In my family, we've always been upfront about what we're giving up. We tell each other, friends, post online, etc. I don't think we brag or require acknowledgement of the sacrifice, but we don't see much reason to pretend we're not giving anything up either. Others, however, feel exactly the opposite. In fact, when I ask some people what they can't have (due to my own curiosity and nothing more), they almost seem offended that I asked. To some, the sacrifice is an extremely private matter. While I've never felt that way, I've come to understand that idea. The point of the Lenten sacrifice is not to have everyone know about it but to grow and improve yourself through that sacrifice. I just think the extremes of these approaches are interesting.
When I was young, all I could understand about Lent was the sacrifice; now, I understand that it's much more than that. I don't think I understand it all, but I'm working on it. As well as giving up certain foods and such, I always attend Mass more often during the week; that's an attempt to grow in the "prayer" element of Lent. Almsgiving (the third element of Lent) continues to be my struggle. I know it doesn't have to be about giving away all my money, but I can't quite get a handle on what I should be doing instead. I also don't know if that is the true trouble there or if I just don't want to understand better because it would require even more of me. I'm probably too selfish with my free time. Something else to work on in the future, I guess.
Happy (Blessed? Miserable? appropriate adjective...) Lent, everyone!
