Sacrifice

So Lent is upon us.

No, it isn't a Catholic 40 day diet plan. It does, however, offer us a time to cleanse -not a physical detox, but spiritually (although, kudos to people who actually are detoxing physically for Lent. Jesus approves).

I've had some time to reflect on the idea of us as Church using these 40 days to fast and abstain, to sacrifice something for God. Our Lenten practices should be something that lead us to prayer and to Christ, something to prepare our souls for His death and Resurrection.

I think a lot of us struggle with that idea -that whatever we do, it should lead us to Christ. For years I gave up junk food because Lent was a convenient time to cut out the extra calories, and if it happened to lead me to prayer that would be great, but it seldom did.

In my experience I've learned that for myself, taking something on for Lent has been much more spiritually rewarding. Rather than using Lent for my selfish purposes, I find that taking on extra responsibilities helps me to make the effort to shed my sinful ways and seek Him more deeply.

Whichever way you roll this time of year, whether you abstain from something or take on new spiritual practices, the end result should always be the same. We work to bring ourselves to the same place on Good Friday -at the foot of the Cross, and on the same place Easter Sunday -rejoicing in the glory of the Risen Lord.

There is absolutely grace in fully immersing ourselves in whatever we have given to the Lord anytime of year, but Lent offers those of us who have not been as feverishly devout all year to come back in some way.

The main two thoughts that have been on my mind this first week of Lent are simple: Lent is an opportunity for those who have strayed to find their roots in the Church -and even if the simplest offering is made during this season, it is an opportunity for Christ to open the door to ones heart and deepen their faith a bit more. The second thought is that for all of us -Sunday catholics, daily massers, or CEA's (Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday Catholics) there is real and abundant grace in every sacrifice we make for the Lord -actual grace that stays with us and moves our hearts in the direction of Christ.

Some people bash the Catholics who abstain from meat on Fridays of Lent and give up candy bars for 40 days. For some of the Christians who daily receive Eucharist, they see this sacrifice as too little. For those who do not know Christ, they see these practices as meaningless and unimportant -just something we do for tradition's sake. But I maintain that however one chooses to make an offering to God -no matter how small, it is still beautiful in the eyes of our Lord.

More so, even IF it is a sacrifice that is made because out of tradition's sake, it is still an opportunity for one of the flock to find their way home. So what if they were binge drinking on Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras, and woke up Wednesday morning to the blurry realization that Lent had begun? Maybe it was a thought that was second nature and almost overlooked, and on the spur of the moment one thought, "I guess I'll give up cookies this year." Maybe they don't even know what Lent is really about, they just know that Catholics do it, and by golly, they are Catholic. So what? It doesn't matter how we come to Christ or how we choose to show Him our devotion, even in the littlest ways we can come to better know our Savior. When we least expect or realize it, Jesus takes hold of our hearts and brings us into deeper communion with Him. He reawakens that longing for Him. Lent is the perfect opportunity.

I am seeing more and more clearly that whatever we give to Christ brings grace and blessings into every aspect of our lives. As much as sacrificing can be inconvenient, when we put God first, all other things fall into place.

I have gradually noticed this effect in the past few years that I have really given myself over to the idea of a hearty Lenten practice. For example, this year I have taken on going to daily mass for Lent. I am a youth minister -I LIKE sleeping in. So to get up early for MASS of all things is about as big a sacrifice as I could have thought to make. I can get up to do the selfish things I need to do, but I have never really taken advantage of the gift of daily mass, and I thought this would be a great opportunity.

Getting up for mass has, in many secular ways, done me a lot of good. It gets me going for the day -it gets my running shoes on my feet ON TIME, it gets me to work early, it even gave me the chance to realize my tire pressure was low so that I could allow time to go to Tire Pros before work.

But spiritually, the grace and closeness to Christ I experience is worth so much more than the sacrifices I had to make to get to mass. More so, the conveniences of getting out of bed earlier than I would like to is NOTHING compared to the amazing feeling of partaking in Communion and hearing the word of God every morning before the day gets started. Eucharist strengthens us spiritually, and what better way to prepare for the day? I even think it makes me RUN better in the morning!

Long story short, Lent is awesome. It is an incredible gift from our Lord, and no matter what we do to during this liturgical season, the more important part of Lent is keeping an open heart, and our minds and spirits focused on that Cross.