People have been asking me lately how Lent has been going. I’m not quite sure if Lent is something that all branches of Christianity practice but, I know that for Catholics, Lent is a very sacred time of reflection, renewal and discipline. Normally, I thrive during Lent. Devoting myself to a deeper spiritual commitment has always cleansed my soul in a way that renews me for the rest of the year.
As for this year, for lack of a better description, Lent has been a train wreck! I’ve come to the conclusion that the weeks surrounding any major life change (in my case, a big move) is not the time for discipline! When I come to think of it though, 2008 in general has been a bit of struggle regarding my religious devotion. I haven’t been very reliable in attending mass and my appearances at Bible Study have been rather sporadic.
In moments like this…I have a tendency to get a bit disappointed with myself because I know deep down that it’s during tumultuous times (good or bad) that I need to ground myself even more in my faith. The church is built on a rock for a reason…because it makes for a very solid foundation when we need it most. However, it was at this time that I remembered something that Elizabeth Gilbert spoke of in her book Eat Pray Love; She mentioned a little tale that was often told in India about a group of very devout monks that would spend hours a day praying. The only problem was that one of the monks had a very annoying cat! The cat would constantly spend his time intertwined in everyone’s legs and meowing relentlessly. So, as a solution, the monks decided to tie the cat up to a tree while they were praying. For years, every day, the monks would tie the cat to the tree and begin praying. Then, one day, the cat died and suddenly, the monks couldn’t pray. They found themselves unable to concentrate anymore because the cat wasn’t tied to the tree.
This was told as a cautionary tale to not let the routine and rituals of your religion determine your relationship with God. While each ritual is beautiful and precious in its own way, God’s relationship is with you, with or without your household pet tied up in the backyard!
This made me feel a lot better because really, with that being said, my Lenten season has been one of the best. I’ve read more of my Bible in the first three months of 2008 than I have in all of 2007, and I’ve spoken to God and given Him my challenges more naturally than I ever have before. To put it bluntly, I’ve shown that I don’t need the cat to say the prayer! And I’m quite sure that new realms of spirituality like that have to make up, at least a little bit, for having eaten too many Mini Eggs!!
As for this year, for lack of a better description, Lent has been a train wreck! I’ve come to the conclusion that the weeks surrounding any major life change (in my case, a big move) is not the time for discipline! When I come to think of it though, 2008 in general has been a bit of struggle regarding my religious devotion. I haven’t been very reliable in attending mass and my appearances at Bible Study have been rather sporadic.
In moments like this…I have a tendency to get a bit disappointed with myself because I know deep down that it’s during tumultuous times (good or bad) that I need to ground myself even more in my faith. The church is built on a rock for a reason…because it makes for a very solid foundation when we need it most. However, it was at this time that I remembered something that Elizabeth Gilbert spoke of in her book Eat Pray Love; She mentioned a little tale that was often told in India about a group of very devout monks that would spend hours a day praying. The only problem was that one of the monks had a very annoying cat! The cat would constantly spend his time intertwined in everyone’s legs and meowing relentlessly. So, as a solution, the monks decided to tie the cat up to a tree while they were praying. For years, every day, the monks would tie the cat to the tree and begin praying. Then, one day, the cat died and suddenly, the monks couldn’t pray. They found themselves unable to concentrate anymore because the cat wasn’t tied to the tree.
This was told as a cautionary tale to not let the routine and rituals of your religion determine your relationship with God. While each ritual is beautiful and precious in its own way, God’s relationship is with you, with or without your household pet tied up in the backyard!
This made me feel a lot better because really, with that being said, my Lenten season has been one of the best. I’ve read more of my Bible in the first three months of 2008 than I have in all of 2007, and I’ve spoken to God and given Him my challenges more naturally than I ever have before. To put it bluntly, I’ve shown that I don’t need the cat to say the prayer! And I’m quite sure that new realms of spirituality like that have to make up, at least a little bit, for having eaten too many Mini Eggs!!
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