a spiritual spring cleaning

Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter.

Although the practices may have evolved over the centuries, the focus remains the same: to repent of sin, to renew our faith and to prepare to celebrate joyfully the mysteries of our salvation.

We are at that time of the year when we are invited to test our inner freedom and to question the notion: I can take it, or leave it. Try that with pornography, alcohol, complaining, gossiping, anger, gambling. What habits make me hard to live with?  Lent is about regaining self-control, especially in those areas that damage others

The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, spiritual growth, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic (Germanic) word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him.

no matter what faith you grow up in, there are rituals to be observed.....and like many things we do, we do them without knowing the cause or origin.....this came up tonight because there was an ambulance at one of the churches, and i jokingly said "i hope someone didn't have a heart attack from eating all those pancakes"....and kris looked at me like i was CRAZY!!  and then i said "aren't you catholic???" - it's pancake tuesday......to which he again looked at me like i was crazy.....  so how can we both have been raised catholic and he not know something i consider common knowledge?  it just got me to thinking about lent, and the season.....its one of those things that people who dont consider themselves religious observe.  i know a ton of people who "use" lent as a kickoff for a diet, or to break a bad habit....which is essentially what lent is for - just without the spiritual connotation.....and is that bad?  i dont think so- whether you believe or not, trying to be better for 40 days is never a bad idea, right?

without going down the whole catholic/non-catholic route again, i just want to say that i have always found it somewhat entertaining that people who absolutely NEVER darken the door of church (my parents included) observe the no-meat fridays in lent....it cracks me up - no confession, or good deeds - just the no-meat.....i think jesus would prefer we pick the good works over the no-meat thing, but that's just my opinion.  while i also, somewhat ironically,  usually observe lent - the whole no-meat on friday thing has no meaning for me, as i dont eat meat......so i've tried to focus more on the actual spiritual quest part.....i'm going to try to take these next 40 days to rededicate myself to some of the reading i have been slacking on - and to spend some time at various services......i may even darken the door of sacred heart...who knows......i'm also going to attempt to get back on the plant based diet, as opposed to the potato based diet i seem to be on......the whole theme of smart, sensible eating is this:  the further away from the way God made it, the less of it you should eat....that seems like a great lenten plan to me....

that's not to say i wont also give up something yummy - because as anyone who has ever been associated with catholicism knows,  you can't NOT give up something for lent or the GUILT will probably kill you :)  so i'm going with the all encompassing potato......yes i know - i may not survive - but it'll be the hardest thing i can do without wanting to do bodily harm to anyone (like the year i gave up coffee)....

for this season, im embracing the phrase "spiritual spring cleaning".....as i feel like that can apply to anyone of any faith (or non-faith, actually).....no matter what you believe, its never a bad idea to take some time to really think about what drives you....and whether or not you are on the course that leads to "good"....however you define it.....

i dont think lent has to be negative.... i understand the POINT behind giving something up - and looking at it in secular terms - its really about CONTROL....can you CHOOSE to abstain from something for 40 days?  or can you be DEVOTED to something for 40 days?  ultimately lent is about reflection and challenge.....can you make yourself do better?  be better?.....and isnt that the best possible INTENTION you can offer?

If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself, if you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.Lao Tzu 600BC