Happy Lent

Thanks, Mom. I had actually given lent some thought this year. Even when I was a nominal Catholic I didn’t do lent, but I see value in it. Your linked suggestions are great. I was having trouble deciding what I might “sacrifice” and didn’t actually come up with anything until I saw what the Pope said (which is similar to your list):

http://time.com/3714056/pope-francis-lent-2015-fasting/” class=”bbcode_url”>http://time.com/3714056/pope-francis-lent-2015-fasting/

This made the rounds on social media, but I really like this message:

“No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.”

Voila. Lent for me.

Long story, but I ended up at Catholic mass (Mass?) today with one of my kids who was interested in going. I think mass and sacrament meeting are apples and oranges, but I’m just writing to say that if you’re in the right time zone to still attend today, I recommend it.

Long story, but I ended up at Catholic mass (Mass?) today with one of my kids who was interested in going. I think mass and sacrament meeting are apples and oranges, but I’m just writing to say that if you’re in the right time zone to still attend today, I recommend it.

Nice!

I took my daughter a couple years ago to mass and was glad we did it. I did not start with a mindset of “this building is big and cold and empty and lacks the spirit”…but I started with a blank slate and just observed to see how things are done. The sound was wonderful, the ritual feeling was interesting, to see people kneeling and praying and many crying was touching to me. It was a good experience. I like religion.

I like that quote, too, DJ.

There was actually very little reference to exactly how to observe Lent, but as a stranger I was struck by and enjoyed so many other things:

– The quiet. We arrived about ten minutes early, and by start time there were probably 400 people there, but you wouldn’t know it from the sound. Except for coughing and some baby noise, it was temple-quiet.

– The dress had nothing to do with the reverence. This was a downtown church before the end of a weekday and people were there in whatever they put on that morning.

– The music. We sang seven times. Heaven.

– The orderliness. The whole sanctuary emptied out twice during the mass, once to receive ashes and later to receive the Eucharist. (If that’s the right way to say it.) Again, total quiet.

– The focus. No ward business, no off-topic talks, just Christ. They must have that elsewhere at other times, but I’ve always wished sacrament meeting was more focused.

– The physicality of it: up, down, hands out, hands up, hands shaking bench neighbor’s hand.

– The reminder. Easter is forty days away.

My daughter’s comment walking back to the car was that she felt very humbled. Content-wise, there were lots of reminders of our own sinfulness and need to repent, but since it was always couched in the certainty of being forgiven, it didn’t seem too negative.

I saw an embarrassing article in LDS Living later at night, all about why Mormons don’t observe Lent, complete with a photo of a Catholic priest and parishioner . Wow. Offensive, I’d say.

It seems like Catholics don’t do fast sundays each month, we don’t do lent each year…and that’s ok, right? What about Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, etc? We do have some things in common. I mean, it is just stuff we decide to do to try to practice our faith.

I think they are all inventions of men. And like the Lord touched The Brother of Jared’s stone and made it light…it can be blessed by God for the inventions of men if they are doing it with pure hearts and hands.

Us vs them mentality is an invention of man.

It was inspiring to see so many people at the Catholic university where I work after the Ash Wednesday mass, with the cross on their foreheads.

We like to make a big deal out of our worship elements, but my dedicated Catholic friends wear their religion more visually than most of my dedicated Mormon friends. That is neither a good nor bad thing; it simply is what it is.

Joni, Interesting to read that Lent appeals to a fair number of us.

It was inspiring to see so many people at the Catholic university where I work after the Ash Wednesday mass, with the cross on their foreheads.

We like to make a big deal out of our worship elements, but my dedicated Catholic friends wear their religion more visually than most of my dedicated Mormon friends. That is neither a good nor bad thing; it simply is what it is.

I think what irks me about the LDSLiving article is that we all know we’d turn on a dime if instructed. If the word came down that we will observe Lent, we’d be all over it. We would embrace it and find meaning.