Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: it’s that time of year again! Some consider it the most wonderful time of the year (after Christmas, of course). You’ve guessed it; it’s Lent! Lent is a very significant season in the Catholic calendar because of what it represents. Culminating in the celebration of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the season of Lent is a powerful reminder of the great sacrifices that our Savior made for us. The compassion and mercy Jesus has for all humans is incomparable, and we must never forget that.
Nowadays, one of the most prominent connotations of Lent is the many sacrifices we must make in our daily lives in order to thank our Savior Jesus Christ and to temper our will. However, there’s more to it than making sacrifices—especially when those sacrifices are often as simple as giving up French fries or ice cream. Sacrifices like these aren’t substantial when you consider the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for us. Rather, I propose that you do something aside from making a sacrifice: routinely committing to a positive behavior that you normally do not engage in.
This additional commitment may be as modest as genuinely complimenting someone each day, or saying ‘hello’ to strangers who pass you by, or doing other random acts of kindness. We as devoted Catholics often lose sight of the grand scheme of things. The essence of our being is to spread love, happiness, and compassion to others. Lent is a wonderful time to reconnect with this oft-forgotten purpose.
So go ahead—you can still give up French fries and ice cream if you think you over-consume them both, but I urge you to commit to doing something good as well. If you remain faithful to both your sacrifices and commitments throughout the whole of the Lenten season, I guarantee you’ll see why Lent is arguably the most wonderful time of the year.
Written By: Michael John Poorten
The Round Table 