A Good Lent

Normally, writers in the Catholic world will create a literary work, short or otherwise on how to prepare for Lent. Since I attend the Traditional Latin Mass, the liturgical calendar actually builds in a “little Lent” or a few weeks before where I will usually hear sermons about encouraging us to begin thinking how we will spend our time during Lent becoming closer to God. For three weeks I may hear one or more sermons on the beauty of confession, the joy of detachment, the longing of Christ to bring us closer. Our rector has had some very powerful exhortations on how we can improve our lives by growing closer to Jesus.

However, I will never forget the little French Canadian priest of the FSSP . I do forget his name, though, my apologies. Two years ago, when watching Mass on TV was a possibility, we found the Traditional Latin Mass broadcast from Canada to our living room. This priest not only celebrated Mass in Latin, he read the readings again in French. Woops, I guess we will be reading the readings and meditations from our Benedictus missals, I thought, and then we heard him read the reading in English with a very thick French accent. He was a very animated and friendly little man with a novel way of organizing Lent, and if you know me, you know I love a very good organizational tip that I will probably begin and never finish, but this one stuck.

Since I was born a good 12 years after the Second Vatican Council, Liturgies were pretty stable for me as a child. Yes, we had guitar and Mass in the gym and liturgical dancing at our school Masses, but the prayers of consecration were universal and regulated by that time. When Lent came around as a student, I found one small thing I could give up. Chocolate, TV, French Fries, and I am not one to do anything consistently, so most of my Lenten sacrifices were abandoned after a week or two. As I got older, in junior high and even high school, the notion of not giving something up, but adding something spiritual was popular. It was easier, more relatable, less taxing, better for all people and not just some. So I tried that and of course dropped the habit in roughly the same time frame.

As time went on, the legalism of Lent was debated all around me. Is Lent actually 40 days? If it isn’t then what days are not included in Lent? Are Sundays a part of Lent or are they still a celebration of the Resurrection and therefore do we have to keep our Lenten resolutions? (the Catholic PC term for sacrifices in order to include spiritual additions as an option) IF Lent TECHNICALLY ends on Holy Thursday, can you conclude your Lenten sacrifices then or have to wait for Easter? Can we give up our sacrifices for our birthdays? (in my house, that is a resounding yes!) Seriously, for years these questions gave me headaches until I remembered from elementary school religion that Lent is a preparation of our hearts in order to recieve the Risen Jesus worthily on Easter. Then I started doing the research.

When I learned that offering a Lenten sacrifice is a discipline and not a precept of the Church, I was freed from my scrupulocity about when, where, how much, and to what degree should I perform a Lenten sacrifice. I was able to ask why we sacrifice and when I found that reason, I prepared my heart for more and more difficult sacrifices in my life each Lent. Some I kept through the years, others have fallen away after Easter, and that’s okay. I usually come back to them. Why do we sacrifice for Lent? There are many reflections on this and other blog posts that are much more eloquent than I could ever give. I sacrifice to remember that this is not my home and these things that are difficult to do here on earth will not be difficult when I get to Heaven. That is the goal. Not to give up sugar or alchohol so I can lose a few pounds (but, hey – bonus!) The goal is to realize that there are greater things to look forward to and that to amass wealth, friends, and beauty in this life is not the ultimate satisfaction.

Back to my little French priest who makes me smile when I recall his spirited sermon. He was so enthusiastic when it came to helping so many people to delve deep into ways to strenghten their relationships with Christ. He gave a list of four very concrete and simple things to think about doing for Lent. 1. Say one extra prayer. Find one, make one up, set aside two minutes in your day to praise, ask, beg, and thank God for the blessings and struggles in your life and others’ lives. 2. One extra spiritual reading. After your two minute prayer, find a book, a blog, a meditation podcast to help you to discern, analyze and find ways to improve your relationship with Jesus. 3. One thing you like to renounce. Now these are his exact words. They were said with very sincere fervor, gesticulating as subtly as possible with a fist hammering down on said thing. This is something small that is not necessarily bad. Chocolate, TV, your pillow, sugar in your coffee. Keep it simple, but not easy. 4. One defect to crush. This exact phrase is what makes me smile, ironically. This was said in his accent with such gusto while his hand, still clenched in a fist swung in a playful uppercut that just made me think I was knocking out that little addiction I have to my phone, or sleeping in or rolling my eyes or saying things without a filter.

I love this advice so much we revisit it every year and of course my husband created a spreadsheet for all of us to fill out because any sacrifice done for love of the Father is pleasing to Him.

While this may not be the Exodus 90, if it is enough to help you grow, it is enough. It’s also good enough to write about preparations for Lent almost a week after it begins, because, well, there’s always next year to begin again. Next Septuagesima, look out for a post about timeliness.