Ash Wednesday

These forty days of Lent, O Lord, with you we fast and pray;
Teach us to discipline our wills and follow Lord your way.
(These Forty Days of Lent, (c) 1970 WLP)

I don't know what I'm "giving up" for Lent this year. I try to fast and abstain from meat on Fridays, and today of course, though physical limitations sometimes interfere.  I tried to give up coffee a couple years ago and actually made it past the initial headaches, but when the foggy haze refused to lift, I caved in.  That took about 2 weeks.  One year I gave up chocolate, successfully, but right now that just seems like too much torture to endure again.  The last couple years I have worked on certain character defects, but now this has become habit, and I think I should embark upon something new and difficult.

Our pastor emphasized prayer, fasting and abstinence in his homily today.  Making time to pray no matter how busy we are.  

Fasting - what can I forego, in solidarity with Jesus' suffering?  Maybe a day to day decision - a meal, another gadget, a movie.  Put the money saved where it will help someone else.

Abstinence - no meat on Fridays is easy, we already have 2 or 3 meatless days a week.  To abstain from negative remarks in conversation - that can be hard.  To abstain from gossip, even when it's just "reporting the facts", that's challenging. 

Now that we have been marked with the ashes of last year's Palm Sunday palms, it is time to inwardly clean house and declutter our lives to become better bearers of the gospel.  As St. Paul says to the Corinthians in today's second reading:  "We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us...be reconciled to God...Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation".

What do Nuns do?

I miss the presence of nuns in my rural parish. I was fortunate to attend Catholic school for most of my school years and they were everywhere then. They were our teachers, disciplinarians (ya, that was way back!), role models, referees and playmates.

There was Sr. Josephine, 3 feet tall, who swung a wicked ruler; Sr. Rita, who would perform a juggling act to recapture the attention of an unruly class; Sr. Rachel, who would jump right into any sport we were playing, from handball to volleyball, jump rope to kickball.  The flying skirts and veils of recess gave way to the dignified setting  of the classroom and frequently a stern look was all the ammunition needed to maintain order.  These amazing women lived in the convent next to the school, attended daily Mass with us, and exuded a love of living for Jesus that spilled over into everything they did.

So what's a nun's life really like?  Thanks to the internet, you can find out.  There are several nun blogs where cloistered and non cloistered sisters open up about their daily routines, hopes, frustrations, joys and adventures.  Would you believe a nun having a pirate-themed birthday party?  Check out http://desertnuns.blogspot.com/.  Nuns in shorts and tshirts climbing ladders to make building repairs?  http://www.anunslife.org/.  There really is a place for any interest in religious life - seclusion, working with people, health care, education, missions, and so much more.  Most orders have websites now, and interested parties can email for more info.

The Smithsonian Institution is sponsoring a travelling exhibition, through 2012, called "Women and Spirit - Catholic Sisters in America"   http://www.womenandspirit.org/index.html.  The exhibit's homepage contains an awesome video of some of the exhibit and commentary.  Definitely worth a look.

I Resolve for 2010...

I love the time between Christmas and New Years. For me it has always been a kind of quiet, contemplative time. A time to sit in front of the fire with a much anticipated new book. A time to reflect on the past year and reevaluate goals for the new one.

Now that the school supplies have been broken in and well used, it's a time to break open a crisp new calendar, planner and journal. The unmarked pages lie full of hope and promise. Perhaps a colorful new pen and some stickers and stamps with which to decorate the record of a life. I know it will be another year where the pages of the calendar turn too quickly, the jobs in the planner will never get all crossed off, and the journal may not be written in as often as I'd like. But just for these few nights, I will reflect, and plan, and look forward joyfully to a fresh start.

I will try to be more realistic with my goals, flexible with my plans, more disciplined in my work.



I will worry less and pray more.

I will smile until I feel like smiling.

I will try a little harder to see and serve Jesus, especially in those I don't like.

I will sacrifice some of my excess and even, sometimes, some of my necessities, so that someone else may have basic comforts of food, shelter,clothing or education.



I will try to remember to make the best of every situation I find myself in, and if possible, to have fun with it. Even if others are determined that I should not.

I will play music, and read books, and walk in the woods.

I will share all these things with my children.

I will try to leave my little corner of the world a better place.