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Ash Wednesday and Lent
Feb. 6th, 2008 02:07 pmToday is Ash Wednesday the first day of Lent. I've been trying to decide for the past week how I'm going to make this lenten season more meaningful this year. Also I've been trying to decide what to give up and honestly wasn't having much success with it.
I've been sitting around the house hungry all day because Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting. For those who don't know fasting in the Catholic Church means you can have one normal sized meal and two other meals that can't total more than one meal combined. Basically one dinner and two half meals...no snacking. It isn't the worst thing ever but it does make you hungry. The reason is so we can be reminded of Christs sacrifices and his time spent in the desert fasting and in prayer. It's also so we can be united with those around the world who are hungry every day and be reminded of their needs too. It's easy to say that it's awful to be hungry when you never really are. It's always pretty powerful to me to actually feel what it's like not to have enough to eat and to reflect on what it's like to feel that way every day. It also reminded me that many, including myself, are spiritually hungry as well.
All of this got me thinking about the hunger I see every day. I work in downtown Seattle and everyday I am face to face with homelessness. I see bodily and spiritual hunger daily.
So I've decided to focus on hunger, both actual and spiritual this lent. I'm going to give up soda because it's such a frivolous form of food. Many people have nothing to eat and I waste money every day on basically sugar water. I'm going to add a jar to my home altar and place the money I'd spend on sodas there. That way I can see what I'm sacrificing. Then when lent is over I'm going to donate the money to St.Vincent De Paul at my parish. They run a homeless shelter just a few blocks from my work and provide food and shelter to the homeless.
As for spiritual hunger I'm going to work on my own. I have a book I bought last year about midway through lent called Lent and Easter Wisdom from Pope John Paul II. It's sort of a daily workbook for the Lent and Easter season. Each day has a message from Pope John Paul II,a bible reading, a prayer and a daily activity. I've been working on having a regular daily prayer time and I think this will help me quite a lot.
Also I'm going to wear my crucifix every day instead of other jewelry. To keep me focused on the meaning of lent and as an outward sign of my beliefs.
So today's "lenten action" is to write a short prayer telling God how you personally hope to benefit from this Lenten season. I've decided to share my prayer with you here:
Dear God,
You have blessed me with both food and faith when their are so many people who have little to none. This Lent I want to strengthen my own faith so that I can share it with those who have little. I want to find ways to help those who are hungry and remember that even though I sometime feel I have little I am rich compared to so many around me. Finally to be reminded of Christ's sacrifices and that no matter how great my sacrifices feel to me it is nothing compared to his for us all on the cross.
In your name I pray, Amen.
I've been sitting around the house hungry all day because Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting. For those who don't know fasting in the Catholic Church means you can have one normal sized meal and two other meals that can't total more than one meal combined. Basically one dinner and two half meals...no snacking. It isn't the worst thing ever but it does make you hungry. The reason is so we can be reminded of Christs sacrifices and his time spent in the desert fasting and in prayer. It's also so we can be united with those around the world who are hungry every day and be reminded of their needs too. It's easy to say that it's awful to be hungry when you never really are. It's always pretty powerful to me to actually feel what it's like not to have enough to eat and to reflect on what it's like to feel that way every day. It also reminded me that many, including myself, are spiritually hungry as well.
All of this got me thinking about the hunger I see every day. I work in downtown Seattle and everyday I am face to face with homelessness. I see bodily and spiritual hunger daily.
So I've decided to focus on hunger, both actual and spiritual this lent. I'm going to give up soda because it's such a frivolous form of food. Many people have nothing to eat and I waste money every day on basically sugar water. I'm going to add a jar to my home altar and place the money I'd spend on sodas there. That way I can see what I'm sacrificing. Then when lent is over I'm going to donate the money to St.Vincent De Paul at my parish. They run a homeless shelter just a few blocks from my work and provide food and shelter to the homeless.
As for spiritual hunger I'm going to work on my own. I have a book I bought last year about midway through lent called Lent and Easter Wisdom from Pope John Paul II. It's sort of a daily workbook for the Lent and Easter season. Each day has a message from Pope John Paul II,a bible reading, a prayer and a daily activity. I've been working on having a regular daily prayer time and I think this will help me quite a lot.
Also I'm going to wear my crucifix every day instead of other jewelry. To keep me focused on the meaning of lent and as an outward sign of my beliefs.
So today's "lenten action" is to write a short prayer telling God how you personally hope to benefit from this Lenten season. I've decided to share my prayer with you here:
Dear God,
You have blessed me with both food and faith when their are so many people who have little to none. This Lent I want to strengthen my own faith so that I can share it with those who have little. I want to find ways to help those who are hungry and remember that even though I sometime feel I have little I am rich compared to so many around me. Finally to be reminded of Christ's sacrifices and that no matter how great my sacrifices feel to me it is nothing compared to his for us all on the cross.
In your name I pray, Amen.
