Ash Wednesday

Every year, Lent creeps up on me. I always feel like we just had Christmas and all of a sudden we're getting ready for Easter! I also think I put a lot of pressure on myself to think of the best thing to do for Lent. I used to give up things every year: meat, beer, candy, fast food, etc. But, a couple years ago, Monsignor Luca at St. Louis Church challenged parishioners to do Lent differently--instead of giving things up, do more things for others.

In the past years, I've:
- handwritten and mailed letters to people who have made a significant impact in my life

- did 40 acts of kindness

- and mailed out Easter eggs to loved ones.

At first, I thought I couldn't possibly find the time to do a bunch of extra stuff for Lent except after spending the past couple years doing them, I don't think I could imagine doing Lent any differently. It's been great to hear about how people have gone on to do those things for other people as well. I get so much more out of doing something than I did giving things up.

I'm always busy running between work and school and volunteer work. There's something on my calendar every single day that I need to be at or do. For me, I look forward to Lent (once I figure out what my plan for the season is of course) because it forces me to make time for others instead of getting trapped in my day to day life.

This year, I'm doing Lent according to Matthew. Matthew 25:35-36 says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Those six acts became the first six Corporal Works of Mercy (the 7th comes from the Book of Tobit):

1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To harbour the harbourless.
5. To visit the sick.
6. To visit the imprisoned.
7. To bury the dead.

Wish me luck as I try to tackle these over the course of the next 40 days!

Love,
Linh