Bent on Lent
This is the first slice this year from my old blog that I’ll be posting to honor Throwback Thursday.
I was raised as a Catholic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. There are several reasons why I stopped attending, but that’s for another slice. Certain things in Catholicism pique my interest and one of those things is Lent. If you didn’t already know, yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which kicks off Lent and lasts for 40 days and nights. Lent is the “commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness,” according to the Macbook’s built-in dictionary – the best dictionary ever.
Anyways, people show their devotion to the Lord during Lent in several ways. The most popular way is by sacrificing something for the allotted time. I’ve known people who have given up smoking, drinking, swearing, red meat, mota, fast food, candy, ice cream, shopping, parties, giving up, showers and you get the idea. Growing up, I learned that during Lent, we could not eat meat on Fridays, which often slipped our minds. By the way, why give up alcohol when you sip wine at church? Excuse me, the blood of Christ.
Self-discipline is the key.
The most famous Lent movie has got to be 40 Days and 40 Nights. In this comedy, simply put, Josh Hartnett (Lucky Number Slevin, Black Hawk Down) gives up sex and everything related to it, including porn and masturbation. It’s not that difficult, but then again strong, my will power is. I wasn’t surprised when I saw it on TV last night. Decent movie. From my recollection I’ve never lost to Lent, giving up fast food, TV, beer, clubbing, buying books/CDs/DVDS, chew, candy, dessert, soda and this year, Facebook.
Although it has only been one day, like a lover who has just departed on a plane, I’m already missing it. I deleted the app from the RyePhone and deactivated my account. Like looking at a lover’s photo, I must’ve visited facebook.com, I’d say four, five times in the past 36-hour period. I’d stare at the page for a few seconds, with my e-mail address already in the E-mail field and waiting there like a devil in the doorway is the blinking cursor in the Password field. What’s not to stop me from typing in my 8-digit alphanumeric password? Self-discipline.
My last look at my facebook.
It’s too easy to give into temptations. After all, we humans can be impulsive creatures, indulging in our desires. Lent is not only to honor Christ’s personal ordeal, but a practice in self-discipline and sacrifice. You don’t have to be Catholic, Christian, nor any other denomination to exercise self-discipline.
Lent isn’t the only time people sacrifice and attempt to better ourself. Although it’s respectable at any time of the year, it was only a few weeks ago when many of us decided to give something up or make sacrifices. That time was New Year’s and I believe that Lent is the perfect time for a second chance, because life seldom goes according to plan. At least with Lent, there’s a time limit – 40 days and nights. New Year’s can be overwhelming because, depending on the resolution or sacrifice, it can be a drastic lifestyle change that people may not be completely ready for. That’s when self-discipline should be practiced and that’s why I’m bent on Lent.
1 Comment
I enjoyed reading this article. I love how you described lent as a self-discipline rather than religious act and that everyone can practice it even if s/he is not religious. This article helped me create a time to sit and think about the many things that I can give up to better myself. It is a creative, inspirational, and Informative piece. Looking forward to reading more of your work!