Lent

Last year at this time I was preparing to become Catholic. I had been in the RCIA program since October and was gearing up for a serious month of preparation for the sacraments. It was a private endeavor for me. Only a very, very few people knew I was going through this process and absolutely no one from my family. I decided to give up cheeseburgers for Lent last year because I was a novice, and because cheeseburgers hold a specific spiritual meaning for me. We can talk about that again some other time.

This year at this time I am not surrounded by the community of friends struggling with the desire to practice the Catholic faith, nor the well organized and welcoming congregation of Old St. Pat's in Chicago. I am on my own in a community of atheists, dearly loved friends, but nonetheless not too impressed by organized religion. I have attended holiday masses at the Basilica of St. Josephat and found not a soul to welcome me or note how I look lost and might have some questions. At OSP I wouldn't have wandered for more than two minutes before someone welcomed me and asked me if I knew so-and-so and then, since of course I didn't, proceeded to introduce me. Thank goodness I have one Catholic friend here who I can speak openly about it with. Thank you!

So this year I have decided that I will do a little more for the Lenten effort. I think it will be very beneficial for me and for others if I eliminate procrastination from my regular routine. I have been taking comfort in the security of my situation, allowing myself to relax and not worry too much as I surely will have time to get to this or that. I feel it would be appropriate to stop wasting time. So I am giving up putting things off. Which is nice because my first choice was coffee, and that isn't really practical, now is it? Secondly, I am looking for a volunteer opportunity here in Milwaukee. I would like to include almsgivng in my Lent practice this year. Last year I kept my pockets full of loose change and doled out handfuls to anyone who asked on the street. That was also Chicago and easy to do. Here I never walk or ride the train so I am insulated from the begging world by my car. So I will have to seek out the homeless who need beer money. As for the prayer part of it. If that means holding an inner dialogue with God, then I do that all the time anyway. But perhaps I can find some more sacred moments or make a little more space to meditate this year.