We are now in the season of Lent, which leads to the questions; Should I have given something
up already by now? Do I need to go to confession more often? Do I need to spend 40 days in the desert without food and water? The answer to all these questions is no…except the 2nd question, you should go to confession frequently because it is good for you. Lent, like Advent, is a time of preparation for the Resurrection of Christ (Easter for the Non-Practicing Christians) and the reason why Christianity became widespread. During Lent, we should not always be worried about giving up something. Yes, it is important to give up things that get in the way of our relationship with Christ, but during Lent, we need to strive for doing the extra thing to deepen our relationship with Christ. That could be praying before doing activities, doing more community service for your parish, and reading scripture or other religious books. The time is now to realize the important call to take this season of Lent seriously because it helps us grow closer to Christ. We find Christ Jesus through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, although, not how the Pharisees did it, but in silence and the humility of our hearts. So, let us stop striving to think of Lent as a time to only give something up, but as a time to deepen our relationship with Christ and prepare ourselves for the possibility of Eternal Life. God Bless! Also NO MEAT on Fridays.