Lent Arrives Tomorrow

Originally posted by Rev. Rob Merola on February 12, 2013 on DaddyRoBlog

So… tomorrow the Big Day actually comes. With Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent starts.

As we have said before, Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed not only by the Imposition of Ashes, but also through fasting. That typically means going sundown to sunup without food, though if you have a medical condition you will want to check with your physician first. Sometimes people will drink juice to keep their energy up, but frankly I’ve never had any problem going just one day without eating. In general, we Americans do not need to consume anywhere near as much food as we tend to think.

With the arrival of Lent it is also time for those of us who are so inclined to settle what our Lenten disciplines will be.  In general,  if we take something on during Lent, it's probably also a good idea to give something else up. In other words, most of our lives are all full to overflowing right already. We don’t want to add something to our lives that will only make us busier, diminish our margins, and further wear us out. In order to avoid that, if we commit ourselves to starting an additional practice that will require a further commitment of time and energy, then we need to stop doing something else.

I've also found it helpful to make at least one of my Lenten disciplines secret. Keeping at least one of our disciplines between you and God alone has a way of simplifying our motivations and  keeping our hearts in the right place.

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