THE BLOG IS BACK FOR LENT!!!

Hey, Coffee Talkers!

     This is directed to all two of you who will read this -- THE BLOG IS BACK FOR LENT! WOOHOO!!!! I've decided to take a little time to blog during Lent, and hopefully it will give a little time out for me to reflect each day in a very busy season of life. I used to answer people's questions about Catholicism and things going on in the world related to Catholicism, and I'm still more than willing to do that,  but be warned that I don't have the time I used to in terms of length and thoughtfulness of response. So if you still would like to hear an off-the-cuff Catholic perspective of Leslie, written in  her small amounts of available time, then be in touch! :)
     In the meantime, here we are on a day when Valentine's Day coincides with Ash Wednesday, demonstrating how soft most of us Catholics really are in terms of this whole fasting thing. Here's my favorite meme to commemorate this day:

     I've decided to stick with my annual giving up of eating out/fast food during Lent, which one would not think would be that hard but somehow is always really timely as the holiday celebrations beginning with Christmas seem to stretch a bit beyond the season for me, if you know what I mean. Anyway, this morning, after taking one of my kids to get braces on (that's a penitential Ash Wednesday activity, for sure!), I felt the pull of the Del Taco iced coffee, the tug of Dunkin' Donuts Valentine's donut specials pulling at my heart strings as I drove by, with a wistful bit of nostalgia for yesterday. While I am technically not bound to today's fast due to pregnancy, I really am able to observe it and giving up fast food is certainly not endangering anyone's health -- quite the opposite! But still, the emotional pull of everything given up for so short a time is a great reminder of why I need Lent.
     Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for the good of the faithful are the three traditional practices of the Lenten season. Each person is encouraged to take up all three, but in a way that is reasonable according to our state in life and realistic to achieve throughout the season. Also, our Lenten sacrifices should not be a burden on others -- you know, "Oh, I'm sorry I'm so snappy today but it's because I HAD TO GIVE UP COFFEE!" You get the idea. Don't make this a failed New Year's Resolutions list, but a way to draw closer to God and His people through some small practices of sacrifice, enough to hurt a little (oh, sweet Dunkin' Donuts, how I'll miss thee!!), but not so extreme that you'll be miserable to be around or that you know you won't be able to realistically maintain them. And don't forget that almsgiving, or charitable giving to those in need, is a great reminder of all the blessings we've received in our own lives. Give what you have, not just from our excess but from our treasures. If you don't have money to spare but you have time or a special talent, offer those. Everyone has something to give, and that can also tie into the practice of prayer on behalf of those who need prayers most.
     That's all the time I have for today. Thank you for re-joining me (or tuning in for the first time) after all these years! As always, thanks for stopping by, and please be assured of my prayers.

Peace and all good,
Leslie