Rants Rent and Lent
Forty days without meat, sweets or spirits. It’s not the latest diet fad out of Los Angeles, and unless the Vatican hired a marketing team this year it probably wont be in any fitness magazines. I would love to se Lent repackaged as the Vata-kins diet. It would help make sense out of the astonishing number of holy fasters that come out this time of year.
Growing up with one side of my family Irish Catholic it always amazed me how many people in my family got spiritual whenever Lent came around. I suppose it’s a step up from the Christmas and Easter only crowd. It’s almost like a contest of who can out fast whom. Aunt Jan is giving up sweets, well uncle Jim is giving up sweets and cigarettes. Not to be outdone Grandma Unice will see your sweets and cigarettes and raise you a bottle of wine.
Why is it that every year, three or four days after Lent starts, people finally start catching on, and I guarantee all over the world people are having the same conversation. Where someone who is seriously talking about their commitment to fast or give up something is surrounded by would be comedians making jokes about giving up shaving, (legs, beard, etc) or class or something stupid like paying bills. But my absolute favorite is when people give up smoking for Lent. If you’re going to quit for that long why not just give it up for good? But hey with all the money you save on shaving cream, the electric bill, and cigarettes maybe you can buy a new lung.
Any way, Catholic or not I think the spirit of Lent is great. The idea of giving up something to develop a closer relationship with God should always be encouraged. It’s one of those things that has to come out of a spirit of growth and not religious pressure. So while you may not loose a ton of weight, or save a bunch of money you just might hear a word or two from our Father. Which believe it or not is better than meat, sweets, and spirits.
This is a piece I wrote for the opinions section of the Lee Clarion
J.
Growing up with one side of my family Irish Catholic it always amazed me how many people in my family got spiritual whenever Lent came around. I suppose it’s a step up from the Christmas and Easter only crowd. It’s almost like a contest of who can out fast whom. Aunt Jan is giving up sweets, well uncle Jim is giving up sweets and cigarettes. Not to be outdone Grandma Unice will see your sweets and cigarettes and raise you a bottle of wine.
Why is it that every year, three or four days after Lent starts, people finally start catching on, and I guarantee all over the world people are having the same conversation. Where someone who is seriously talking about their commitment to fast or give up something is surrounded by would be comedians making jokes about giving up shaving, (legs, beard, etc) or class or something stupid like paying bills. But my absolute favorite is when people give up smoking for Lent. If you’re going to quit for that long why not just give it up for good? But hey with all the money you save on shaving cream, the electric bill, and cigarettes maybe you can buy a new lung.
Any way, Catholic or not I think the spirit of Lent is great. The idea of giving up something to develop a closer relationship with God should always be encouraged. It’s one of those things that has to come out of a spirit of growth and not religious pressure. So while you may not loose a ton of weight, or save a bunch of money you just might hear a word or two from our Father. Which believe it or not is better than meat, sweets, and spirits.
This is a piece I wrote for the opinions section of the Lee Clarion
J.
posted by j. at
6:33 PM
3 Comments:
you should try the forty day fast with nothing but water. my dad says that was fun. (acually, i suppose he was being sarcastic, but its worth a try;])
rollicking fun j. rollicking.
That's a good entry, I never really took Lent seriously... I never even really knew what it was until two years ago. But it is a significant idea, and I understand it more now.
Haven't seen you in a while, when are you coming back up for a visit?
-James'
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