Coming off an Easter break and I’m happy to say everyone is healthy. Fulton would like to personally thank the makers of Tamiflu, and I would like to thank my in-laws for running our house for two days while I lived on the edge of death…or felt like it. It was the Lenty-est of Lents right up until the last-minute, but thankfully we’ve been living it up during the Easter Octave with only the occasional digestive upset due to candy overload.
A few times this week I caught myself thinking I couldn’t have or do something, then remembered it was no longer Lent. Obviously, I was relieved, however upon reflection, I realized that there were several lessons (maybe seven??) that typically strike me after Lent, but tend to get forgotten quickly afterwards, usually during the ensuing sugar coma. This year, I’d like to jot them down for posterity’s sake.
1. Feasts are better after the fast. Those first pieces of candy, and can of Coke, tasted SO DAMN GOOD. Snacks all the live long day and tons of meat with every meal? Tears of joy.
But even now, after a few days, the feelings have died down. Eating an entire bag of Cadberry mini-eggs (my weakness) for the second time, is not nearly as satisfying as the first. We’re a supersized, immediate gratification society whose logo is the all you can eat buffet. The idea that gluttony is a sin is lost on pretty much everyone, even me most of the year. But how much better is food, and drink, and many, many other things, when we don’t binge on them all the time? Scrolling through Easter pictures on social media ALL DAY on Sunday was so fun, and made me smile. Scrolling through Facebook for hours any other day rarely gives me that same feeling.
2. We can always start over. No one is good at Lent. I saw a quote on Twitter that if you think you’re good at Lent, you haven’t chosen the right penance. I agree. And so I admit to sucking at several of my Lenten disciplines….repeatedly. However, I no longer allow myself to get discouraged and give up. I hit up confession and get back to it. And I try to see why I slipped up in the first place so I can learn from my failures rather than beat myself up for them.
3. Lent builds perseverance. Doing something for 40 days is hard, but how quickly it becomes a habit. Other times of the year, it seems impossible for me to stick with something or develop a new habit, yet during Lent, I manage to stick with my penances for 40 days. There is actually very little that I absolutely cannot live without. There is much I choose to do, or consume, simply because I want to, not because I need it in anyway. I am stronger than my vices and bad habits.
4. Sometimes God chooses our penances for us and we need to lay our own plans aside and take the cross we’re given. This is a great way for us to learn humility. Typically, I get indignant, and ask God to kindly butt out of my Lent which is going very solemnly thankyouverymuch. So this year, when I got sick and couldn’t do everything, I knew rationally what lesson I was to learn, I just didn’t want to learn that lesson right now when I had stuff I needed to do. But that’s the Lent I needed (and not the hours of quiet spiritual reading). I just LOVE standing in the way of my own greater spiritual good.
5. There is no good time to suffer, however, during Lent I find it easier to empathize with others experiencing great hardship and spiritual struggles and I often am better about praying for others promptly (when I first learn of a problem) and repeatedly. Thinking of others facing tragedy puts my own small Lenten practices, and life, in perspective and it seems easier to bear my own crosses.
6. It’s easier to do good and to stick with my Lenten penances when I plan. Not planning meatless meals, or allowing junk food in the house is a recipe for disaster. The temptation is often too overwhelming. Saying I’ll attend confession more frequently but never arriving at church in time to go, or not properly examining my conscience when I know I have time to go is setting myself up for failure. It really only takes a bit more time and effort to make it easy to make the right choice and conversely, avoid a bad choice that will set me back physically and spiritually.
7. Complaining makes everything 202,039 times worse. I try not to complain during Lent when everything is extra sucky because 1. then my kids complain more about not getting dessert and 2. that’s part of the ‘fun’ of Lent; growing in holiness by not complaining about the growing pains. But the rest of the year (and when dealing with the Lenten penances God surprised me with), I seem to like making things worse by complaining.
I seem to find it easier to stick with things during Lent that I otherwise struggle with, though I’m sure God will assist me with all these things the rest of the year as well if I remain mindful of them.
What did Lent teach you this year? Write it down then link it up below. Be sure to include a link by to this post so your readers can find the rest of the Quick Takes. I look forward to reading your posts!
This was a powerful Lent for me. I really was dragging at the end a few times, a la sleeping Apostles in the Garden. I have a question though – in #2 you say that you slipped up at several of your Lenten disciplines but in #3 you say you manage to stick with your Lenten penances… It’s late and I just got back from camping, but I’m trying to reconcile those. Thank you! And Happy Easter!
HA! Glad you caught that. I was also up writing late so that’s probably why I’m not clear. I guess what I mean is that even though I slipped up during Lent, and wasn’t successful 100% of the time with certain things, I still managed to start over on those practices, and keep at them until Easter in an imperfect way. And for some of my practices (like giving up certain foods) I was successful for all of Lent. Certain things have become easier for me, ( at one time I NEVER could’ve fasted the way I do now) and other things remain more of a challenge.
I heart Cadbury Mini Eggs as well though I’m loving the Ferrero Rocher ones as well!
I too gave up sweets, and realized every Monday morning (after my Sunday indulgence) that my face was broken out. Probably not the lesson I was supposed to learn, but as a long time acne sufferer, I’m glad I did!
God sort of chose my Lent for me this year, I think. I had grand plans about giving up chocolate and all the other goodies I love; but my biggest Lenten sacrifice turned out to be having to move out of the house where we’d raised our boys. Although we are actually in a better place now, living less than an hour away from three of our five grown sons and their families, the clearing-out of our old house and getting it ready to sell was more painful than I ever could have imagined. It’s amazing how sad it is saying goodbye to a house when you’ve lived there for 26 years and it holds so many happy memories. So as I went through boxes of memorabilia and tossed old lacrosse equipment into the dumpster, I tried to offer it all up. That sounds pathetic, calling moving a sacrifice–especially when it means moving closer to your kids and grandkids. But that was the toughest thing I had to endure this Lent. I tried to cut back on eating the things I love most. But sometimes when I was too sad, I must admit I turned to chocolate!
Oh, and Cadbury mini eggs are a weakness of mine, too!!
I loved your #7. I actually gave up complaining for Lent. If you knew me, I’d have to tell you to stop laughing. But like you, I believe in new beginnings and fully embrace item 2 on your list. Whenever I caught myself complaining, I’d make an act of contrition and start over. I went into Lent knowing that I would mess up and I was OK with that. I also went into Lent with the intention of continuing to break my complaining habit after Lent ended. Not surprisingly, my outlook has improved a lot. Interestingly, it’s helped my husband’s outlook, too (extra incentive for me to avoid complaining!).
I too, keep having those moments when I forget that I can actually do certain things now that it’s Easter. Love your reflections about it! Happy Easter!
I found out what humility is during this Lent. What seemed like a major sacrifice and was REALLY hard, was simply praying my rosary before I touched any social media in the morning. So small. So Simple right? I found it a huge struggle…something that simple. Insignificant me. Sigh. But God took it because he is gracious.