The Obligatory Catholic Blogger's Lent Post

Not that I consider myself a Catholic blogger. I am merely a blogger who HAPPENS to be Catholic and HAPPENS to read a heap of very interesting, challenging and insightful Catholic blogs and HAPPENS to wish she were a bit of a better Catholic. At least one who could give a thoughtful answer to half the things her all-Protestant friends have asked her about Catholicism during the years. I can't say I've done much for Defending The Faith and all that.

Anyway. If you've been around for a while or read the archives while desperately sleepless and bored, you may recall that I am not Lent's hugest fan. Lent makes me grumpy and guilty and bummed out, not least because all the Catholic bloggers are writing about The Meaning Of Lent and I realize, for the 30th year in a row, that I am missing out on something.

I've been thinking about this, why Lent is never... LENT, really, for me, and what, if anything, I can do about it. And then I realize I have these same thoughts and good intentions every year.

But this year is going to be different. If only because I have decided that Lent does not exist to sharpen/purify/educate/strengthen/illuminate me. Rather I have to serve Lent, somehow, and stop expecting Brilliant Insights and other Grand Spiritual Awakenings to simply emerge over the next 40 days. WHAT A NOVEL IDEA.

The things I usually do, things I'm involved in at church or whatever, aren't really going to happen. I have two kids now and I don't like to admit it but two has complicated my life way more than one ever did. (People say the third just slides into the family, no big deal. Is this true? I'm suspicious.) So things like retreats and evening prayer times at church just aren't going to happen. I'm not attending the Lent Bible study thing I told you about long ago because it was going to be during Molly's naptime. (And we all know that a tired Molly makes for a miserable rest-of-the-family.) I had to think long and hard about that, but if my first responsibility is to take care of my family, I need to find other ways to fit in the churchiness. Right? Right. Just figuring out how we could all attend an Ash Wednesday service tomorrow required an advanced degree in Logistics.

And so... I think I am going to try out the Liturgy of the Hours. Conversion Diary's posts about her "reckless experiment" were so intriguing, and saying prayers throughout the day sounds like just the thing for a stay at home mom. I have no idea what it's going to be like and I have a rotten track record at Sticking To Things, but I have the prayers, I have the websites, I have a schedule- I'm going to try. And I'm not going to expect anything either.

I have a friend who often gets herself to daily Mass. I want to attempt that. At least once. (I'm starting small, folks. Low expectations, all that.)

I want to go to Adoration. At least once. I want to be writing more. I realize that doesn't necessarily fall into the Churchy category, but I have my reasons.

Mostly I want to go into Holy Week prayerfully, rather than my usual "I have to go to church HOW many times this week?!"

We shall see.

Comments

[lindsay]

Good for you Maggie. Hope it's not without reward. I really should take a page out of your book.

[Lisa]

I like the Liturgy of the Hours thing. We used to do that together (my husband and I), daily. And then, well, there was the baby. You know how that goes. But we might start something back up this Lent. Mostly, I'm going to try to turn the TV off more and pray more. And stop eating out...it only happens once a week, but it can really eat up my cash budget FAST. Dang economy.

[Jen]

I'm interested to hear about how this goes. :)

[Jess]

I think this is a very good set of priorities and goals. I am definitely curious to see how it plays out.

[ashley.star]

Oh, Lent.

I've had both really awesome Lents and really half-hearted Lents.

I'm going to try and have a really awesome one this year!

As far as websites, I seriously love this one: http://www.sacredspace.ie

[Jessica]

Conversion Diary makes me feel like a terrible Catholic! She is so awesome... and I converted the year before she did...
I both love and tire of Adoration. I get bored very easily. I can't concentrate very well, and I even find myself daydreaming mid-prayer.
So this year I am going to give up fast food and say the Rosary every day.
Starting tonight. And Dylan bought a Daily Catholic Bible, so every day you read about 2 pages (an Old Testament reading and a New Testament reading) and eventually by the end of the year you've read the whole Bible.
I'm with you on the not sticking to things well.

[Lindsay]

I am a huge fan of Adoration, though I haven't had the opportunity to go in forever. I'm going to take it back up again (or try) when I'm done with school, because here it always occurs during RCIA, and I help out with RCIA, so I have to be there. Adoration is wonderful in that it can be whatever you want. I usually pray for a little bit, but I love to just sit or kneel there and just...be in Christ's presence. Honestly, peace is hard for me to come by, but whenever I'm in Adoration, I get it, and everything just makes sense. I find that I don't even need to pray or really "worship" all the time, because Christ is providing me with what I need, and I'm providing Him with my presence. It's almost like we're just hanging out on the couch together just reveling in one another's presence.

Also, don't worry about this whole, "I am a bad Catholic" business--honestly, what is a GOOD Catholic? You approach your faith honestly, and that's something that a lot of people have difficulty with. Not only are you honest with yourself, but you're honest with the world. That's admirable, and you're TRYING. If anything, I think that makes you a prime example of what faith should be about.

I hope that you have a wonderful Lent this year, Maggie.

[Charlotte]

Confession? I love Lent. I'm not even Catholic and/or religious. I went to Catholic school for years and I just can't help it. I loved the sacrifice, thinking about it, resisting temptation. I have no idea what that makes me. Okay, I do, and it horrifies me.

[Kate P]

I like that expression, to "serve" Lent. I'm right there with ya. :)