Every year most of us of the Catholic faith take part in lent. The 40-day, 40-night religious observance period begins with Ash Wednesday, ending on Easter, and is a time where we pray, repent and fast in search of forgiveness for our sins. At the age of 32 there hasn’t been much I have not given up for lent in the search of forgiveness for my sins. In some cases I have failed miserably; such as when I gave up sweets one year, or when I decided to stay away from watching television. In other instances, I have succeeded such as the fast that led to me quitting smoking. One year, I simply gave up trying to sacrifice anything for lent and decided to be a better person. It’s safe to say that last one is a work-in-progress for the rest of my life.
This year, just like every year since I can remember, the question came up again. What should I give up for lent? Given that I enjoy a lot of different things, it usually comes down to what it is that is trending with me at the moment. Right now, as of Tuesday, March 4, bread and dairy products make up an enormous part of my daily diet. So for the next 40 days and 40 nights I will not have one dairy item, nor a single piece of bread. It will be hard to drink my coffee without the usual dose of milk. No more cereal in the morning or cheese during lunch. This will definitely be good for my health. It might even make me drink less coffee, which can’t be all bad.
Yet, I hope that this year’s lent, like the all the ones before have a positive effect on who I am as a person. Will not eating bread or drinking milk absolve my sins? Probably not. Does it prove that I am sorry for the wrong that I have done? Not at all. But what I know it does do is remind me of why I am not indulging in my usual guilty and pretty unhealthy pleasures. At the very least, even if for such a petty reason as not what I enjoy, if I become a better person then the sacrifice would have been worth the try. So from March 5-April 17 the every-day quest to become a better person will be a bit more rigorous. Hopefully, in the process my eating habits will become a lot healthier.
