It’s Lent time again. For those of you who are not Catholic, Lent is the period of time from Ash Wednesday through Easter where each person makes some kind of personal sacrifice. According to the Bible this is the same 40 days and 40 nights where Jesus fasted, and prayed in the desert.
I grew up Catholic. I got baptized, received Holy Communion, Confession and Confirmation. I spent 12 long years being educated in the Catholic school system. So I guess that makes me Catholic. I guess.
Here is the thing, when I go to church I don’t feel much of anything and I think that I should. This has been an issue for me for years now. I believe that religion should provide you will a sense of peace and contentment. I’m also a pretty leftist person. Meaning—I believe in a woman’s right to choose. I believe that Lesbians and Gays have a place in our society and should be treated just like everyone else. I think that priests and nuns should be able to get married, not necessarily to each other, but they deserve companionship that marriage provides. I think that nuns should be able to perform mass. I think that sometimes divorce is necessary. All those beliefs go against what the Church stands for. So how Catholic am I really?
In spite of those feelings, as soon as Lent rolls around, I am compelled to participate. Ashes on Ash Wednesday, no meat Fridays, stations of cross on Good Friday, Easter Sunday mass and giving up something for Lent. Yes my friends, these are the shackles of Catholicism. I also know that no one is making me do this. This is coming from me. So until I am ok with NOT participating, I MUST participate. Yes, I know it’s weird. No, I don’t know why. I say all this because I am looking for something to give up. For years I gave up some favorite food or drink. However, I am doing Weight Watchers and feel like that is hard enough; I don’t think I can give up anything else that has to do food. Shopping? I don’t really shop like that. So no. I’ve been thinking and I narrowed it down to two things. First thing(s) Facebook (I can't figure out how to link to my FB page) and Twitter. Second thing Television.
Facebook and Twitter: I am very connected to Facebook. VERY. To be clear not "April" the other me. As a matter of fact, if you want to friend me on FB--please. April's FB page is sad!(lessofapril@gmail.com) LOL! The second I have a moment, I am on checking my status and the status of my friends. I make comments. I tee hee and ho ho. I am not nearly as connected to Twitter as I am to FB. Although, I do use Twitter to updates folks about blog updates.
Television: I don’t watch episodic television much anymore. I watch the news. I watch Family Guy every single night. And I watch a hell of a lot of HGTV. Someone once told me that their TV is almost like a light bulb. It’s just on all the time. Mine is like that. Even if I’m not watching. Turns out that Fat bridesmaid (Whose name I just realized I don’t know. I looked for it on her amazing blog and couldn’t find it.) Anyway she has given up Television for Lent, so far so good I think. She keeps on meandering into her her living room to turn the TV on, but she hasn't mentioned twitching or foaming at the mouth so I think she's going to be ok. Her doing it makes me think it's a great idea.
So what to give up? Not sure. But by this Friday I will have decided.
I grew up Catholic. I got baptized, received Holy Communion, Confession and Confirmation. I spent 12 long years being educated in the Catholic school system. So I guess that makes me Catholic. I guess.
Here is the thing, when I go to church I don’t feel much of anything and I think that I should. This has been an issue for me for years now. I believe that religion should provide you will a sense of peace and contentment. I’m also a pretty leftist person. Meaning—I believe in a woman’s right to choose. I believe that Lesbians and Gays have a place in our society and should be treated just like everyone else. I think that priests and nuns should be able to get married, not necessarily to each other, but they deserve companionship that marriage provides. I think that nuns should be able to perform mass. I think that sometimes divorce is necessary. All those beliefs go against what the Church stands for. So how Catholic am I really?
In spite of those feelings, as soon as Lent rolls around, I am compelled to participate. Ashes on Ash Wednesday, no meat Fridays, stations of cross on Good Friday, Easter Sunday mass and giving up something for Lent. Yes my friends, these are the shackles of Catholicism. I also know that no one is making me do this. This is coming from me. So until I am ok with NOT participating, I MUST participate. Yes, I know it’s weird. No, I don’t know why. I say all this because I am looking for something to give up. For years I gave up some favorite food or drink. However, I am doing Weight Watchers and feel like that is hard enough; I don’t think I can give up anything else that has to do food. Shopping? I don’t really shop like that. So no. I’ve been thinking and I narrowed it down to two things. First thing(s) Facebook (I can't figure out how to link to my FB page) and Twitter. Second thing Television.
Facebook and Twitter: I am very connected to Facebook. VERY. To be clear not "April" the other me. As a matter of fact, if you want to friend me on FB--please. April's FB page is sad!(lessofapril@gmail.com) LOL! The second I have a moment, I am on checking my status and the status of my friends. I make comments. I tee hee and ho ho. I am not nearly as connected to Twitter as I am to FB. Although, I do use Twitter to updates folks about blog updates.
Television: I don’t watch episodic television much anymore. I watch the news. I watch Family Guy every single night. And I watch a hell of a lot of HGTV. Someone once told me that their TV is almost like a light bulb. It’s just on all the time. Mine is like that. Even if I’m not watching. Turns out that Fat bridesmaid (Whose name I just realized I don’t know. I looked for it on her amazing blog and couldn’t find it.) Anyway she has given up Television for Lent, so far so good I think. She keeps on meandering into her her living room to turn the TV on, but she hasn't mentioned twitching or foaming at the mouth so I think she's going to be ok. Her doing it makes me think it's a great idea.
So what to give up? Not sure. But by this Friday I will have decided.
No twitching or foaming at the mouth (yet) but it has been a struggle.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I would love to have another no-TV buddy, it sounds like giving up Facebook and Twitter is the bigger challenge. And for me, that's the whole point of Lent -- to do something that's really difficult, that pushes you waaaaaay beyond your comfort zone.
That said, we all have our limits of what we're willing to do. My sister suggested I give up Starbucks and texting and I was all, "oh HELL no."
Good luck!
Thanks! I actually decided to give up both. We shall see. It's amazing how quickly I turn to TV or FB. I think this is going to be a good learning exercise for me.
ReplyDelete