A Lent Well Spent

Usually I only blog about religion a few times of the year and this is one of them. Well, it’s Ash Wednesday and you know what that means. It’s the first day of Lent. The period beginning the day after Mardi Gras leading up to Easter, the holiest day on the Christian Calendar. It represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Lent is extremely important to me and I don’t look at it as a huge task or obligatory undertaking. I see it as a time to bring me closer to Christ by giving up something (or things) that I normally can’t seem to go without - this year it’s all meat and alcohol -, through prayer and reflection.

It seems of late that Lent has become trendy and people completely forget about the religious and spiritual aspect of the Lenten Season. People are “taking up things instead of giving them up”. While I think that is wonderful people are taking the time to do something during Lent I don’t agree with people doing something “good” for 6 weeks and then stopping it. I look at every day of my life as a chance to better myself and those around me in some sort of way.  Religious significance of Lent is being replaced with a social trend. I’m glad Jesus didn’t look at the sacrifice that he made for humanity as a trend because he could have easily changed his mind and I don’t even want to imagine the world if he hadn’t made that great sacrifice.

When Lent is over you should reflect upon the period and see some personal growth. I reflect daily during Lent and pray for the continued strength to remain on the fast for the entire period. It may seem like a huge struggle at times but compared with the struggle of Christ it truly pales in comparison. So whether you’re giving something up or taking something up; remember the true significance of this important time.

A Lent well spent is a lent spent praying, fasting and encouraging others.

Arrivederci