There is something comforting about religion. There is something safe about religion. There is definitely something about the traditions that provide a warm blanket on a cold day. And, living in a town that seems to have overt religious overtones in a religion I personally am not attached to, I grab hold of my own ancient religion with zeal. It brings me back to my childhood, my upbringing, my personal traditions, my grandmother, and more recently a very fond memory pertaining to my children and my dad and Sunday mornings.
Is my religion perfect? No. Do I agree with everything? No. But, it is comforting and calming and fills me with a sense of belonging and peace.
Onto Lent.
For starters, Ash Wednesday, which is tomorrow and marks the beginning of Lent. The ashes we receive on our forehead, in the shape of a cross, is the outward sign of our sinfulness and need for penance. The ashes also symbolize mortality, and a reminder that one day we will die and our bodies return to dust. The tradition of receiving ashes began somewhere around the 11th or 12th century where the ashes were made by burning the previous years palm branches.
Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting. I always seem to have a problem with doing this, I'm ashamed to say. I try and I hope that counts for something. I do try to eat much less on Ash Wednesday and we will not eat meat every Friday.
We do have what appears to be a lot of rules for Lent but this is a time when you can put into practice those moments when you think about changing things or doing something different. Ash Wednesday is our "wake up call" at the beginning of Lent. A time to identify the things we have done wrong or wish we could change or do differently...then we can choose to something about that during the next 40 days of Lent.
Which brings me to the whole "giving up something" during Lent.
From what I understand about this time of year it isn't so much about giving up chocolate or desserts or something else you find tempting (or easy to give up without it being much of a "sacrifice" like giving up nuts even though you are alergic to nuts) or even something necessarily tangible. It is MORE about an attitude or behavior you want changed. Now, maybe you are on the road to giving up sugar altogether for health reasons, then perhaps giving up desserts is a good start during Lent. I was recently talking to someone about what to give up during Lent and she reminded me that even if they DO want to give up something like chocolate it could still be good because it causes them to FOCUS on what they are abstaining from. However, things like chocolate, etc. are really aimed more for CHILDREN who are new to the idea of Lent and is an easy way to start.
I'm not sure what I will be focusing on during Lent. This friend I was talking to said she "added" something to her daily life as a positive reinforcement of Lent so she said special prayers everyday. I love that idea.
Ash Wednesday is a reminder of the need for spiritual renewal and change in our lives, a time to review your life and name those areas where you need renewal. Once you have identified the areas, identify ways to make a change.
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