Lent

The season of lent will kick-off this upcoming Wednesday, starting with Ash Wednesday. Mind you, being that I am not from a Catholic background I have never celebrated lent. However, the idea really intrigues me. As I have moved out on my own, and in college have been given the opportunity to explore many different traditions in the Christian faith, I have discovered that there is a lot of elements to Catholicism that I particularly like. The rich symbolism of this tradition overflows with imagery to our sanctification. As I have been studying Lent (well and fasting in general) I have been learning that it is a time to align ourselves with the will of God. Lent is a time where we put away our carnal desires to focus on the spiritual and the ways of the Lord. We reflect on the Lord and our humanity, so that we may better appreciate and accept the grace shown us through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  Lent also represents the time of prayer and fasting Jesus had while in the desert after his baptism. Jesus was baptized before he began his ministry, but he also fasted and aligned himself with the will of the Father before he began His ministry. I believe that I, having accepted the Lord's grace, am made to be an icon of Christ in this world. I was made to be a minister of the Lord. Therefore, if Christ fasted before he stepped into ministry, I believe it may be wise to do the same. I want to be so aligned with God's will that when people bump into me on the street, the love of the Lord would shine so radiantly that they would no longer see me, but Him. Therefore, in following the path of Jesus, I want to humble myself, that I may be fully transformed into his likeness, evermore able to accept his grace and give it to others.
Being that I have never done a 40 day fast, I don't think it would be wise to fast from food as I have read many monks used to. However, because I do not eat much meat anyway, I see that the path of a modern Catholic may not do either. I have been praying, and asking the Lord what I may need to be surrendered to him. I think I have my answer.
For 40 days, I will be fasting coffee. Anyone who knows me, knows this is a feat. I'm a connoisseur of this fragrant drink. Though I quite disdain this term, I have been frequently accused of being an addict (though I do not believe this to be the case). This is my vice. Therefore, I'm going on a spiritual caffeine with drawl for the next 40 days. I'm seeking to be aligned with the will of God in every area of my life.

Basilica Sanctuary

Along with fasting from coffee, I am also going to try to attend the Friday services at the Basilica of Saint Mary. I would try to attend the Ash Wednesday service, but I work 4-11 p.m. However, I feel that the Friday night services could be most enlightening.  Featuring the partaking of the Eucharist at 5:30 p.m., a Soup supper at 6 p.m., and Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m., I think that this would create a great opportunity to learn more about this tradition. I won't be able to participate in the Eucharist, because I am not Catholic, but I can take the opportunity to pray and reflect. The supper would then give me a chance to have some conversations with members of the congregation about the observance of lent. Finally, the Stations are a beautiful observance of the Lord's sacrifice on the cross.

I'm really looking forwards to the lessons that may be learned and to hopefully have my ideals about the Lord blown open. Look forward to seeing more posts about this journey.