Growing up, choosing what to “give up” for Lent was hard. However, saying I wasn’t going to eat something for 40 days and go right back to eating it at 12:01 a.m. on Easter morning didn’t make any sense.
The practice of fasting was never meant as a challenge, to see what you could live without for a short time. Instead, it’s supposed to help you grow more in love. In other words, we give up things that prevent us from recognizing our dependence on God, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30) or more familiarly, “He>i.”
The tip for today is, No matter what you give up during Lent, make sure it pushes you toward prayer and recognizing the presence of Christ around you and in others. Add a prayer action anytime you feel tempted.
For example, this year, I’m giving up sarcasm (again). So, when I feel the urge to shoot off a sarcastic remark, my prayer is for God to give me encouraging words to speak. You can ask Stephanie how I did with that at Easter, but right now I know I’m praying more often. J
Makana Aiona is the diocesan coordinator for Young Adult Ministry.