A Letter From Our Pastor: What Are You Getting for Lent?

Dear Parish Family,

“What are you getting for Lent?”

That might seem like a strange question to ask. We are used to hearing, “What are you getting for Christmas?” or “What are you giving up for Lent?” Those questions make sense. There is a reason why we celebrate the birth of Jesus first and His death and resurrection second.

Christmas is all about God’s unconditional, unexpected, and unmerited love. There is nothing we could ever do that would make us worthy to hold the Baby Jesus. Yet he is freely, trustingly, mercifully given to each of us. The tone of Christmas is the importance of simply receiving the gift of Love that is offered to me. I daresay every Christmas has some moment of peace and love. I like to journal because it is a way that I can go back and remember what God has done for me even when I forgot it.

Lent, then, is about our response to God’s love. Even though most of us do believe in a good God who loves us, we often live as though God did not exist. We go about our business trying to figure out our own problems as though God weren’t watching out for us and lovingly providing for us. We fill our lives with things that temporarily boost our mood but don’t actually lead to lasting and meaningful happiness. Since I am, in fact, loved unconditionally, what are the things I can do without? In what ways am I trying to fill the emptiness in me that only God can fill?

I may not know or necessarily be able to tackle those things directly. But if I take on some general kind of fast or self-sacrifice, I will begin to see more clearly this dynamic in my heart. Last year I went on a dairy-free ketogenic diet for Lent. It was really hard to eat next to no carbs. I had to change the foods I made, eat out less often, and avoid lots of things I really like. In the process, though, I lost some weight and found a freedom from sugar (I didn’t realize how attached to sugar I actually was). I developed the skill of being able to go without food for an extended period of time. I gave up a lot, but I got a lot of benefits from my sacrifices.

This year I started Exodus 90. It’s 90 days long and will end on Easter, so in a sense, I started Lent extra early. Exodus 90 challenges you to give up sugary drinks, desserts, snacks, TV and sports, unnecessary cellphone usage, fasting and abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, and more. You also invest in fraternity with other men, daily prayer and reflection, and regular exercise. Many of us are finding the unnecessary cellphone usage is the hardest part. However, I have begun to notice new freedom, detachment, and peace in my use of technology. In other words, I’m getting a lot out of the experience.

We are already a week or two into Lent. You have hopefully begun extra prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. You might be counting the cost of your sacrifices, but you should also be on the lookout for unexpected blessings. What are you getting for Lent?

Your brother in Christ

Fr. Joel Sember, Pastor

Fr. Joel Sember, Pastor