As a child it was easy to sacrifice for Lent. My parents told me what I was giving up, and then made sure it wasn’t available to me anymore. As an adult, it is harder.
Lent isn’t about just about giving up something --- although sincere sacrifice for God is a holy thing to do --- but Lent is about preparing for conversion, for change, for permanent change. People are welcomed into the Catholic Church on Easter Sunday because it is after Lent, a time of preparing for change. Conversion is about letting go of self and the illusion that I can take care of myself, and turning to a deeper dependence on God. An arrogance, selfishness, confidence that I can do things --- myself --- is my ego speaking. Giving up something I want is a reducing of that ego, a reducing of the priority of self, and the starting of humility. It is the start of change so I can receive His life, a life the world cannot give, but the life He meant for me.
Conversion isn’t about giving up something for a while; it’s about change. Lent is a time to prepare for change by giving up something of what defines me, things I routinely do because they give me some contentment. It’s about deliberately starting to do those things I know I should be doing, but I forget to do or do so only reluctantly.
We need to encourage our Lenten choices by recalling what Jesus chose to do, offer up His life for others. Offering up what we are, a planning to change, is a sharing in that sacrifice of Jesus, to dying to our self for the sins of the world. It is no small thing.
Changing your life means beginning new habits which will continue beyond Lent. Lenten fasting is a good thing, a temporary sacrifice for Him, but conversion is changing who we are, how we think and behave. It might mean a resolve to stop doing something we should not, or to begin doing something we should. No one may know about our change but God, like if our prayer life improves (a local parish has set up Stations of the Cross in its parking lot so people can pray and meditate in their cars --- there are outside stations like this in many places, to help people begin a habit of prayer), or our change may be visible to the world as we begin a life more focused on helping those in need. Change for God is a form of penance, and it is hard, but we have 40 days of Lent to get into new habits.
Remember what the priest says at mass when he lifts the host and says what Jesus said: “For this is My body, which will be given up for You.” That was His commitment to change, and why.
What will you give up this Lent; how will you start to change who you are?
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