It’s Lent, the time when we give something up, a season for fasting. I remember the year my parents decided we were giving up TV for Lent. That felt like the longest Lent ever.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that we are now immersed in the season of Lent. Just listen to the conversations going on among Catholic folks: “I gave up coffee for Lent.”   “Oh no thanks, I gave it up for Lent.”  “No chocolate for me, it’s Lent.”  “What did you give up for Lent?”   

Lent, at times, sure can seem to be the season of “giving things up.” But in Bishop Mark’s Ash Wednesday homily, which I found extremely insightful, inspiring, and profoundly powerful, he encouraged us to go further. He “dared” us to take the journey further this Lent; to go further than just giving up salty snacks, or coffee, or whatever...

Here at the Parish office, a change in liturgical seasons is always a busy time. The last two weeks especially have been a little crazy: trying to get Ash Wednesday, Reconciliation times, our Penitential Service and Stations of the Cross organized and ready to go; looking forward to the Triduum and Easter and all the planning involved there – all of which goes on top of our regular weekly tasks and ongoing projects. It’s a bit of a wonder I’m still upright and coherent most of the time!

With all this busyness, I have been having a hard time getting ready for and in the mood of Lent...

So I grew up in a family where Lent was for me an obligated punishment as opposed to a pleasing observance. My Mom, a few days before Ash Wednesday, would start to sing into our ears the need for Lenten observances and “giving ups” – prominent among which was FASTING from FOOD!!! She made each child spy on one another so you could hardly break the fast until the appointed time. As a smart little boy, I remember making a deal with my little brother by breaking the fast before 12:00 noon and we made strong promise not tell on each other…so technically we were still fasting because our lips would be wiped super clean, and our faces dropped in hunger (faked though).