Is lent more of a ‘give up’ for forty days or a ‘take on’ for the rest of your life? It may be really difficult for me to give up chocolate or desserts for lent, but come Easter Sunday, watch out! Back to the chocolate and back to the sweets…and enjoying them with a great sense of pride and accomplishment!
Hmmm…was that transformative???
How about selecting a virtue and ‘taking that on’ for lent? Humility seems like a good one since it’s opposite – pride – has gotten us all into trouble, beginning with Adam and Eve!
Taking on humility for lent….that’s a tough one, and on Easter, instead of feeling a sense of accomplishment or “PRIDE”, we can feel that perhaps we’ve taken a step forward (and a few backward, I’m sure). And, our lenten experience will not be over, we will not go back to our pre-lenten attitudes, because we did not deprive ourselves, but rather we expanded ourselves….
We will continue on this journey, maybe a bit stronger, maybe a bit grateful, maybe a bit more humble.
Reflections on the Journey 
Humility is quite a challenge, Andie. As I stayed with the word for a while, I realized that (deep down) I confused it with humiliation…
As to giving up chocolate or meat or coffee, I am always surprised by those who stop giving it up on Sundays. I know, it’s ‘tradition.’ Still…
Thank you for recommending humility. You’re going to have me think about this for a while 🙂
Thanks Claire, it’s amazing, humility and humiliation – similar letters but worlds apart in meaning!
I like that approach – taking on attributes like Him – and humility and servanthood certainly describe our Lord. Even participating in Lent can be superficial and “about me” if we don’t keep our eyes on the One who gave His all.
Absolutely Glenda – agree totally – now, to put it into practice….
Humility is very difficult even in the ‘best of times’. As a Secular Franciscan (albiet a worm of one) and a man whose work environment brings out the worst in me I see all the time the effects of not being humble enough and not allowing the gift of humility to wash over me during the course of a work day. To ‘zip my lips’ at work is one of my penances for Lent, and so far I’m about 2 for 10, the first two coming yesterday after an evening in Adoration. Lent has only begun, but it seems this year is more intense than before. Thank you for being so candid with your posts. k
Isn’t it amazing, Keith, how lent can take on different ‘personalities’ year to year? I think that you are off to a great start – your awareness is the important thing – the rest is always ‘baby steps’.
A good challenge – to do the right thing and not even think of it as doing the right thing – just doing it. Like the idea of doing good works in secret – how do you know or is it that you don’t. Hmmm lots to think about with humility. blessings
Doing good works in secret – that’s always a challenge to our humility! Thanks for that great thought, Word.
Andie – this was awesome. Gave me a whole new perspective on the way I treat sacrifice during Lent!
Thank you for sharing
God Bless
Aw, thanks Michael! Easy to type these words, much more difficult to live them!!!