So today is Ash Wednesday and the Catholic Church begins the season of Lent. During my childhood, I did not really take my Lenten sacrifices seriously and would often end up not really doing anything (or at least breaking my commitment from whatever I was sacrificing that year). During college, I wanted to begin making a strong commitment to Lent, and so not only would I challenge myself to sacrifice one thing, but I would sacrifice multiple things. Again, because I'm a faulty person, I would give up halfway through and just focus on one thing for the rest of the season.
You may have heard this said before, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to reiterate this point: Lent is not just about taking a break from a food or about Fish Fry Fridays or avoiding social media for 40 days. It is about taking time to grow closer to God and, through a sacrifice or commitment, changing the way we live so as to be more like Jesus Christ. Over these next few weeks until Easter, I am making a stronger effort to avoid things that distract me from God and deepen my relationship with Him. The 40 days is to remind us of Jesus' strength and sacrifice during His time in the wilderness so that we may rise with newness and joy like He did on Easter Sunday.
So, this year I am going to make several commitments during Lent again. I have even put together a list that I am placing by my door so I am reminded of my Lenten promises every day. These commitments of mine are focused on the three main aspects of the season of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.
Prayer: You might think that being on Reach Youth Ministry means I shouldn't really have a problem with commitment to prayer. We already schedule personal prayer time, team prayer, and Mass on a daily basis, and I say prayers before I go to bed at night. However, there is always something I can do in order to strengthen my communication with God. This year, I have decided to:
-Pray a daily rosary. It has been emphasized as a tremendously powerful form of prayer from multiple sources and it focuses on important moments in the Gospel.
-Create a prayer list. This keeps me accountability for all of the prayers I promise to say and helps me better focus on the people in need of prayer.
-1 solid hour of prayer. Sometimes my personal prayer time ends up being 30-45 minutes, but I want to commit myself to longer prayer so that I can better focus on my communication with God.
Fasting: There is always something that I could cut back on. This area is not just food related. I think I come across many distractions in my life that I spend time on instead of being focused on what God needs me to do in my life. There are two things I want to cut from my life this season. My hope is that focusing on these two also affects other areas in my life that need fasting.
-Soda. I already tried a month long soda fast this year with an intention to cut back, but old habits die hard and I returned to drinking more than I wanted. I wish to cut soda from my diet not just for healthy consumption and cutting back on caffeine, but I also want to save money I would otherwise spend on multiple sodas in a week.
-Music. You may have guessed that I really enjoy my music (I have talked about it a couple of times on this blog already). However, I spend a lot of my time looking at concert videos on Youtube or finding the right music on Spotify to listen to while I'm on social media. My hope is that by cutting out my music (by which I mean voluntarily listening to my own music on my laptop or Ipod) that I use my free time better, decrease my time on social media, and be more productive in silence.
Almsgiving: This is the hardest one for me to develop. I mean, I am on a very limited budget with Reach. However, I am called to share what I have with those in need. And, I am trying to focus especially on the 'giving' aspect of this.
-Carry spare change for the poor. Every time I see a man with a cardboard sign on the side of the road, or if I see someone walking down the street with a cart of their belongings, I feel like I should help them out instead of ignoring them. So, my hope is to have some extra change on me during Lent to be able to give to those in need that I come across.
-Compliment something I would rather critique. My team gives me trouble because I am very critical of everything, from food to movies to music and so forth, which makes it hard for them to recognize that there are many things that I appreciate and enjoy. I want to give praise and positive reviews to things that I would almost primarily criticize. So, for Lent, I want to avoid saying anything negative about the media I take in and the food that I eat and instead find the positive aspects in those things.
-Donate to CCM's Spring Ring. It's officially on the list, Springfield friends. I can't promise it will be much, I will definitely help out the place that provided much of joy and spiritual growth that I experienced in college.
I know this looks like a big list. This is definitely not a thing where I'm trying to be like "Look at me and all the stuff I'm going to be doing cause I'm cool". Far from it. I am aware that there are many areas of my life where I am faulty and need change to be more like Jesus Christ. During Lent, I am challenging myself to grow in many ways. Please pray that I am able to stand strong and be committed to these sacrifices all of Lent.
I pray that if you are making a sacrifice or commitment during Lent that over these next 40 days that you grow closer to God and become more like Jesus Christ through that commitment.
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