Though I am a Baptist pastor, I actually grew up Catholic in my childhood. We were not super committed, but we most definitely observed the holy seasons particularly, that of Lent. For example, in the Catholic tradition, you were to avoid eating meat on the Fridays of Lent. This was supposed to be a sacrificial time, so giving up meat was to make us draw closer to God. Fridays meant it was time for a Filet-O-Fish, or, canned salmon patties…ew! Now, I remember being quite excited one time that the Pope gave “special dispensation” once for people to have meat on a Lenten Friday because of St Patrick's Day being observed that day, and we had to be able to get our corned beef. I hope Jesus approved.
Another facet of the Lenten season was that you were supposed to “give up” something. This is something I have always been puzzled about. This is supposed to be a ‘sacrifice,’ 40 days without something to remind us of the suffering of Jesus, and to humble ourselves. However, in my experience, the things that people give up for Lent are often silly or simply nominal. Like, “I'm giving up chocolate for these 40 days.” Do you see my problem? Sacrificing something, that is already an indulgence or not necessary for a healthy spiritual life, doesn't seem to be like a sacrifice at all. Are we actually suffering if we cut canned soda out of our lives for 40 days??
I did a quick search to discover some ideas of things to give up for Lent, and the list was perplexing. Items included were: alcohol, social media, chocolate, coffee, fast food, gossip, complaining, swearing… Several of these items we shouldn't be doing anyway, and the entirety of the list just seemed vapid. Is the act of denying ourselves these things truly sacrificial, drawing us into a humble remembrance of the suffering and sacrifice of the Lord? Well, maybe the coffee…Besides, when we announce to all those around us what it is that we are sacrificing for the Lenten season, doesn't this defeat the purpose? That is not humbleness, that is public piety!
What I am driving at is the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus was enough. There is nothing more we can do to garner favor with God other than accepting Jesus' sacrifice through faith. Now, don't get me wrong, I am all for practicing spiritual disciplines. Fasting, Christian meditation, solitude, lectio divina…But why should we regulate these things to just the 40 days of Lent? How about we practice these disciplines all year round? Doing these things is not a way to get God to notice us more, it's more about getting ourselves more in tune with God's will for our lives. It's about aligning our spirit with the Holy Spirit. In the meantime, I'm giving up eating liver for Lent...and for the rest of my life… yuck.