Don’t Give Up on Giving Up
By Mike Lambrecht
We are about 2/3 of the way through Lent and Easter is just around the corner. But, before we get too far ahead of ourselves it is important to take stock of where we are at spiritually. If you think back to the start of Lent, about 4 ½ weeks ago, many of us chose to give up something that we enjoy in order to unite ourselves more closely with Christ and to remind ourselves of the suffering that He endured for our sake. This is a wonderful, ancient, and grace filled tradition in the Church.
Some of us may have chosen to give up certain foods, others may have given up watching TV, using the computer, videogames, or anything else that we enjoy in our daily lives. Whatever the case may be, I hope that you have chosen to sacrifice something in your life for this penitential season.
If you have fallen in your Lenten goal, remember that there is always time to start again. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and, most importantly, pray to God for the strength to persevere in your Lenten Sacrifice for the next two weeks. If you have been faithful in your sacrifice, I can only say “good job” and keep up the good work. If for some reason you have not yet chosen a Lenten sacrifice, now is the perfect time to do so. It is never too late to give up something for Lent.
If you have been paying attention at Mass, you have heard Father Janusz promote the practice of giving something up several times during Lent in his homilies. This is an excellent way to participate in the Lenten season on a daily basis. By sacrificing something that we enjoy during Lent, we are reminded in a very small way of the suffering that Christ endured for our salvation on the Cross. Each and every time that we are tempted with the activity or object that we have given up, we are given a small chance to participate in His suffering.
The catechism tells us that, “The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing.”1 In other words, Lent is the ideal season for voluntarily denying ourselves of things that we enjoy in order to bring about spiritual growth.
In our current culture, we often find that people are interested in instant self-gratification, not in voluntary self-denial. In many instances, we have lost the desire to unite our suffering to Christ’s. Our society views suffering as unpleasant and to be avoided at all costs. Yet the Church has never ceased in teaching us that “the way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis [self-denial] and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes.”2
Therefore, if we wish to grow in our spiritual lives, we must be willing to sacrifice earthly things. Jesus tells us, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”3 Let us take heed of these words and strive for an increase in holiness during the remainder of this Lenten season. Let us remember the words of St. John Vianney who said, “When we must do something we dislike, let us say to God: ‘My God, I offer You this in honor of the moment when You died for me.’”4 If we do this, we will unite ourselves more closely to Christ and grow in holiness.
1 Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph #1438
2 C atechism of the Catholic Church paragraph #2015
3 Mark 8:34
4 Thigpen, Paul. A Dictionary of Quotes from the Saints. Ann Arbor: Charis Books, 2001.