Growing up, my understanding of Ash Wednesday was that it was the day the priest puts a blob of black soot on my forehead that is supposedly intended to be in the shape of a cross.
Likewise, my understanding of Lent wasn't much more than 40 days without sweets, TV, or whatever mom decided we were "giving up" that year.
My mom did a good job of explaining why we choose to make a sacrifice in order to remember the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for us at the end of the 40 days. But, although I would have never admitted it at the time, I saw lent as 40 days of torture before receiving a basket overflowing with candy and other goodies on Easter Sunday. I knew in my head what the purpose of Ash Wednesday and Lent were, but I didn't understand it in my heart...
...and it would be a while before that ever happened!
Eventually my understanding, or lack there of, transitioned into a competition to see who could come up with the most creative sacrifice to give up for lent.....I remember giving up kissing my boyfriend one year while I was in high school. While this may be a good Lenten sacrifice in theory, it all comes down to your intentions....and my intentions were merely to prove to people how "brave" we were and how much self control we had. So basically, I just did it for the attention...
When I came to college, I discovered that my "good enough" understanding of Ash Wednesday and Lent was, believe it or not, actually rather shallow.
I noticed how excited some people around the Catholic Neman center were getting as they anticipated the upcoming Lenten season...and it wasn't because they were excited to brag about their great ideas or how holy they were. It was because they wanted to enter into a season of penance, reflection, and fasting to prepare for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday!
It's a time to dig down deep and truly remind ourselves why we are here, who we are living for, and ultimately, that we are SINNERS and one day we will die...sounds morbid right?
WRONG!
It's actually pretty awesome. Lent is a time to be humble and sacrificial by purging our souls of things that hold us back from having a deeper relationship with Christ. It's a time to prepare our hearts for our real home in heaven!
So wear your ashes proudly! And...
"Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return" Genesis 3:19
Need some good sacrifice ideas for lent?
-No Coffee
-No sleeping in
-No snacking between meals
-No lazy clothes days: dress up everyday!
-No unnecessary shopping: only sticking to the grocery list!
-No music in the car
-No make-up: only natural beauty
-No hot showers
-No condiments/seasoning with meals
Got some more ideas? Please share!
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