A Brief Ash Wednesday Reflection

In my experience, not all Lents are equally intense. They usually begin the same, with a lot of good intentions. Once it gets going the observance either deepens, helping to form good habits that endure after the Holy Season has ended, or things dissipate, and I'm simply holding on to the bare minimum the Church asks of us. Once Easter arrives, in that case, I'm pretty much in the same place I was when the ashes were smeared on my forehead.

This year I feel a special pull make this Lent "count." The Lord has made me aware of deeply imbedded attachments that are harmful to me. It's not that I was unaware of these disordered attachments before, but that I feel a particular frustration with them, and with my self for allowing them to remain in my life for so long. 

The first thing to remember always is that God is the one doing the work. The fasting, the extra prayers, the almsgiving and other works of charity and justice are meant to open the way for the Lord to mold our hearts. They are meant to take us out of ourselves and our self-centeredness to hear the voice of God within, as well as Him speaking through others. 

The other thing is that Lent is 40 days. I have no illusion that this project will be done by Easter Sunday. Can it be? Sure, if that's what God wants. What's more to the point is planting seeds that will continue to grow beyond the liturgical time, forming habits that will become a regular part of our life. So, the only advice I'll offer is that whatever you choose to as a Lenten penance, make it a good habit that will continue after Lent ends, not only a deprivation that will stop after the Easter Vigil. Giving up soda pop, for instance, is good - I don't want to discourage anyone from doing something like that, especially children. But making a positive changes in your life like forming better eating habits or volunteering at a soup kitchen will instill virtues that remain all year long.

I'm not going to broadcast my Lenten penance; that will be between the Lord and me. What I will say is that I'm not giving up social media. Many people do, and I'm not knocking it. But part of my resolution is to use social media more as an evangelizing tool. It takes time to write these posts, even stream of consciousness pieces like this. I waste a lot of time. I know I need to use my time better to get the things done I have to. Also, I want to use what spare time I have in some productive pursuit. Thus what I'm doing right now, writing these words for you.