Monday, March 14, 2011

Lenten Penance

Wow, I just checked in to my blog to get a recipe for Friday night dinner, and I had to delete about two hundred spam comments! It is Lent now, and I just wanted to tell you all that this year I didn't give up food or drink like I usually do. I didn't even give up entertainment or the internet. I used to fast for all of Lent (except Sundays) and I thought I would do that forever, because it's such good penance. Plus I generally lose about six pounds!

Nope, this year I am not depriving myself of any temporal pleasures, because I have something better to offer God. On the advice of a good priest, I am putting into practice a spiritual mortification. Remember I posted here about Psalm 140 (3&4) in a post called A Prayer for Loose Lips? The psalm goes like this, and my Lenten penance is to perfect the practice of this psalm.

Set a watch , O Lord, before my mouth, and a door around my lips. May my heart not incline to evil words, to make excuses for sins.

The first few days were indeed hard, but it is getting easier to remember not to be so quick to answer every question or statement, and to actually keep silent on many things that really don't need a response. It's not my nature to do this, and it is indeed hard!

How is your Lent going?

5 comments:

Shirley said...

I think I'd like to have your priest for my spiritual advisor!
When you aren't on your blog for a long time, spammers notice and take over. Don't know how they figure it out, but I've noticed it on a few blogs that have gone dormant and don't have comment moderation on.

Dancing With Pussycats said...

I have been trying to curb the bad habit of gossip and to let go of a grudge I bear my next door neighbor. Both are hard and success has been minimal. I suspect it will take a lot more than 40 days to overcome!

I am reading St. Faustina's Divine Mercy Diary for the first time for Lent. This is proving helpful.

So glad to have you back! You were missed!

ignorant redneck said...

My Lent? Rocky! Temptation and vexation always multiply when I try to take on more penance!

For Friday dinner try this-make mac and cheese, with whatever pre-packaged glop you choose. Add 12 oz of tuna, and peas. Serve.

Now there's a penance!

BTW--Been waiting for you to get back.

Mary N. said...

Welcome back, PG! Wouldn't it be great if everybody in the world practiced a penance like this? How quickly things would change!

I know, I know....not gonna happen.

Michele said...

my Lent is going good thanks. :) i like that prayer. with a temperament like mine, it would do me well to say that prayer often.