Addiction and Avoidance

One of my online friends recently began playing Candy Crush Saga... and now, like so many others, she is addicted to the game.  

As for me, I've scrupulously, carefully avoided the game, which I, too, love, during Lent.  I've also made sure not to read any books with the word "Chocolate" or any other sweets/treats in the title.

Those Cadbury Creme Egg commercials are more than enough!

A Different Kind of Lent

I've decided to observe Lent a bit differently this year.
For one thing, instead of giving up a lot of things, I've narrowed
this year's list down to three items, two of which I've never given up before.

1: Chocolate (that's a given, or should I say a given give-up?)
2: Coffee (that one will NOT be easy; I'll have to have strong tea
in the morning instead.)
3: Peanut butter  (I've been eating quite a bit of it lately.)


So that's my give-up list for this Lent.

Now for my special challenge:
This Lent, I'm going to read the entire Bible from cover to cover.  This will
be in addition to the passages from the Psalms and the Book of Proverbs that
I read every morning, and the short Gospel I read every night.  (If the same passage shows up twice in one day, I will NOT re-read it.)
This won't be easy.  It will mean less time on the computer, and, well, let me
put it this way:  My weekly book lists may be shorter than usual.

My First Ash Wednesday (re-post)

I remember my very first Ash Wednesday, my first day of
fasting as a Catholic. For me it was easy as pie; it was
a piece of cake. (Although, of course, I had neither pie nor
cake!)
Remember, I am a Jewish convert, a veteran of Yom Kippur
fasts: From a little before sundown until a little after sundown,
no food, and nothing to drink. Not even a sip of water!
The not eating wasn't all that hard (I'm not saying it was a picnic, but who picnicked on Yom Kippur, anyway?).
What I found hard was the "not even a sip of water" part.
So, my first fast as a Catholic was easy in that respect. What I found difficult was figuring out the "two small meals that
together don't equal a full meal."
It was like a combined one-day-diet and math exercise!
When Fr. Kelly asked me how I'd gotten through my first
fast-day, I couldn't help laughing.
"Father," I said, "you don't know from fasting!"

My First Ash Wednesday (Old Post)

(Originally posted in 2011)

I remember my very first Ash Wednesday, my first day of
fasting as a Catholic. For me it was easy as pie; it was
a piece of cake. (Although, of course, I had neither pie nor
cake!)
Remember, I am a Jewish convert, a veteran of Yom Kippur
fasts: From a little before sundown until a little after sundown,
no food, and nothing to drink. Not even a sip of water!
The not eating wasn't all that hard (I'm not saying it was a picnic, but who picnicked on Yom Kippur, anyway?).
What I found hard was the "not even a sip of water" part.
So, my first fast as a Catholic was easy in that respect. What I found difficult was figuring out the "two small meals that
together don't equal a full meal."
It was like a combined one-day-diet and math exercise!
When Fr. Kelly asked me how I'd gotten through my first
fast-day, I couldn't help laughing.
"Father," I said, "you don't know from fasting!"

My First Ash Wednesday (reposted from last year)

I remember my very first Ash Wednesday, my first day of
fasting as a Catholic. For me it was easy as pie; it was
a piece of cake. (Although, of course, I had neither pie nor
cake!)
Remember, I am a Jewish convert, a veteran of Yom Kippur
fasts: From a little before sundown until a little after sundown,
no food, and nothing to drink. Not even a sip of water!
The not eating wasn't all that hard (I'm not saying it was a picnic, but who picnicked on Yom Kippur, anyway?).
What I found hard was the "not even a sip of water" part.
So, my first fast as a Catholic was easy in that respect. What I found difficult was figuring out the "two small meals that
together don't equal a full meal."
It was like a combined one-day-diet and math exercise!
When Fr. Kelly asked me how I'd gotten through my first
fast-day, I couldn't help laughing.
"Father," I said, "you don't know from fasting!"

Homily 2012-02-22 - Fr Joseph Mary MFVA - Ash Wednesday

Fr. Joseph shares two great stories in this homily. Thank God, we don't have
to give up laughing during Lent!

Lent, 2012

I've just re-read some of my goals for last year's Lent.
It's funny, but I had forgotten that I abstained from meat last year, except for Sundays,
solemnities, and feast days. I'm going to do it again this year.
I will pray the Chaplet of Mercy several times a day, instead of just at 3:00 in the afternoon.
In addition, at least once a day, I will pray The Chaplet of the Holy Wounds.
My second cup of coffee and light snack will also be my breakfast during Lent, so that, except for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, I will have one light snack and two full meals, with liquids at any time. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, of course, one full meal and two small meals which together won't add up to a full meal. Liquids, except water, only at meals.
Actually, I like Lent. It's a great time for spiritual growth. Besides, I enjoy, yes, enjoy the challenge of keeping all of my Lenten resolutions. Of course, a great part
of the enjoyment of Lent is in knowing that Easter is coming!

Lovely Meditations on the Stations of The Cross

This is a repost from last year.
I found an absolutely lovely, thought-provoking set of meditations on the
Stations of The Cross
written by Mother Angelica
I should have checked out EWTN's website to begin with.

My Good Friday Meals

I almost forgot to blog this!

Breakfast:

One soft pretzel in the traditional shape.

Lunch:

One-half baked potato. 

(Not to be confused with one half-baked potato!)

Supper: 

(My full meal)

Two eggs, sunnyside up on buttered, seedless rye bread

(I love the phrase, sunnyside up!)
The other half of the potato

What Kind of Lent Has It Been?

Title adapted from the  Season one finales of:
Sports Night
The West Wing
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Well, it hasn't been exactly the Lent I planned to have.
I didn't pray the Stations of the Cross as much as I meant to. But then again, the only way
I really like praying the Stations is in Church.
I didn't really miss the things I gave up, and, call me crazy, but I like to miss, to crave, the things I give up. I like to feel that I'm actually making some kind of a sacrifice,
although no sacrifice of mine could come close to Our Lord's sacrifice.
But then again, maybe what He wanted me to "give up" this year was the feeling that I was
making a sacrifice.
And, while I'm taking stock:
1: Have I prayed more this Lent than during Ordinary Time?
Yes.
2: Will I continue to pray as much as I did during Lent?
Yes
3: Have I drawn closer to Jesus during this Lent?
I think so.
4:
Will I stay this close to Him?
I pray that I will come closer.
So, all in all, what kind of Lent has this been?
A blessed one, as Lent should always be.

Lovely Meditations on the Stations of The Cross

I found an absolutely lovely, thought-provoking set of meditations on the
Stations of The Cross
written by Mother Angelica
I should have checked out EWTN's website to begin with.

Lent Update

If I'm going to be honest in this blog, (and what's the sense of blogging otherwise?) then I have to admit that I haven't been doing too well when it comes to praying the Stations of the Cross.
Not too late to pick up the slack there!

My First Ash Wednesday

I remember my very first Ash Wednesday, my first day of
fasting as a Catholic. For me it was easy as pie; it was
a piece of cake. (Although, of course, I had neither pie nor
cake!)
Remember, I am a Jewish convert, a veteran of Yom Kippur
fasts: From a little before sundown until a little after sundown,
no food, and nothing to drink. Not even a sip of water!
The not eating wasn't all that hard (I'm not saying it was a picnic, but who picnicked on Yom Kippur, anyway?).
What I found hard was the "not even a sip of water" part.
So, my first fast as a Catholic was easy in that respect. What I found difficult was figuring out the "two small meals that
together don't equal a full meal."
It was like a combined one-day-diet and math exercise!
When Fr. Kelly asked me how I'd gotten through my first
fast-day, I couldn't help laughing.
"Father," I said, "you don't know from fasting!"

Stations of the Cross

I've found an online version of the Stations that I like very much.

My Daily Way of the Cross
Daily. So perhaps I should go on with this devotion after Lent, at least on Fridays.

Lent Starts On Wednesday....

....and I want it to be a bit different this year; I want
to do a little more.
So this year, in addition to no junk food, no soda, no chocolate in any form whatsoever, no eating between meals, no alcohol (I like a glass of wine or beer once in awhile with a meal),
I've decided to abstain from meat (but not fish), except on Sundays, solemnities, and
feast days. On Fridays, I will even abstain from fish, because, to be honest, I love fish sticks, and this is another "extra sacrifice" I want to make this Lent.
I also plan to pray the Stations of the Cross every day.

Lent Begins In March

It feels a bit strange to still be eating chocolate so late in February!