Instead of giving up something for Lent, could I take something up?

Sister Rejane  
This Random Nun Clip is brought to you by A Nun's Life Ministry.

Sister Maxine  
So our first question comes in from Carrie, in Minnesota. And Carrie writes, “I know Lent is a time when people give up stuff, chocolate, pop, and those kinds of things. But for Lent, what about instead if you do something you don't like: putting all the dishes in the dishwasher after supper every day? Cleaning the bathroom? I think that would be a bigger sacrifice than not eating chocolate. And then Mom would get a break too." Carrie, thank you so much for the question, Shannon. somewhere on the internet, I think I hear a bunch of moms cheering. 

Sister Shannon  
Yeah, I think so, too! They're excited at that thought. But I think that Carrie really has the right idea. The whole purpose of any kind of sacrifice is in order to bring change of heart within us, a gift to others, and to become a stronger, more spiritual person. And it happens in the habits of every day.

Sister Maxine  
And she is thinking outside the box a little bit. You know, we don't know exactly how old she is. But she sounds like she might be on the younger side. And so you know, I think when you're younger you think give up chocolate, give up this, give up that, versus maybe necessarily taking up something.

Sister Shannon  
I've often thought that there's some bragging rights in "I didn't have any candy during Lent." But it wouldn't fly as well if you said, "I you know put the dishes in the dishwasher every day." But you know in your heart that it would be an assistance to somebody that you care about, and it would be a good discipline for yourself. So that doing for others is an important piece.

Sister Maxine  
Maybe we should back up just a little bit and talk about Lent itself, that 40-day season of prayer and fasting and almsgiving. Time to prepare ourselves for the resurrection at Easter. If we look at those dimensions--prayer, to have that time to grow closer to God. I don't know if there's any special prayer things that you do over Lent; I tend to look for like one of the Lent calendars. I enjoy those.

Sister Shannon  
There's a little book that was produced by Bishop Untener, I think, that has daily reflections for Lent that I find helpful. It makes me think about those 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert before he began his public ministry. And here he was, the Son of God, but in his humanity among us, realizing that if he was going to be an effective minister of God's word to the people, that it was important for him to prepare his heart through prayer and fasting. So he is the model, I think, for our experience of Lent. So for us, I think yearly--if not more often--it's important to take stock of how we're living our lives, and how our prayer life is evolving. And what we need to do in order to continue to convert our heart toward God.

Sister Maxine  
And with our prayer life, being sort of our ongoing conversation with God, Lent is a really great time to look at: are there other things you could be doing to strengthen that relationship? I think it's a wonderful time.

Sister Shannon  
For some, it is the pious and religious practices that become important. Attending liturgy an extra day a week, besides just Sunday. Saying the rosary. Those opportunities to keep the sense of the relationship that you have with God before you and to engage in actions that deepen that relationship. 

Sister Maxine  
Because it is like every other relationship: the more you attend to it, the richer it can be. 

Sister Shannon  
And the whole point, really, of sacrifice or abstinence or fasting also has a connection with helping us to feel the experience of those that have less than we do, and connecting us with the poor, with the marginalized, which is very much part of our mission as Catholics and what we're called to do. So by going back to the notion of giving up chocolate or giving up pop, but even in small ways, helping ourselves to be somehow in communion with those that have less by making a sacrifice that makes us aware of how very much we have.

Sister Maxine  
That's a great point too, because like with abstinence, well, maybe for somebody not eating meat on Fridays, it's just not a big thing. Maybe they rarely ever eat meat. But to think of it in terms as a practice of mindfulness for others in the world who may not have anything to eat that day.

Sister Shannon  
That, I think, is really important. And so to follow Carrie's point, maybe twice during Lent, you go and work in a soup kitchen, and you engage with some of those that are less fortunate, that are in need. And you reflect on the experience of your own blessings and what it means to share with others. That's a different kind of a sacrifice, because it's sacrificing your time. And for some you might be a little hesitant or nervous about engaging with a group of people that you don't know. And yet it might cause you to grow in your own spiritual self.

Sister Maxine  
And that would kind of fall along the line of almsgiving. Because it doesn't mean just, you know, you give money to a worthy cause. It can be your time, it can be your consideration. It could be volunteer work. Any number of things.

Sister Shannon  
When the Second Vatican Council took place back in the 60s and some of the liturgical practices began to change, that's when the church made the decision that we would not abstain from meat every single Friday of the year, but that we would only abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, and Ash Wednesday. But the church didn't leave it at that. The church said, "There are other practices to consider. Find your own discipline, find a way to grow and to convert your heart and to give to others in the practices that you engage." So it laid the responsibility on us, rather than just simply giving us a rule to follow, which I think converts the heart more deeply.

Sister Maxine  
I would agree with that. I kind of smiled to myself because I remember getting questions for earlier Ask Sister podcasts from people who are like, "I'm a vegetarian, does that mean I need to give up vegetables for Lent and eat meat?" But what you're saying just makes so much sense in the wisdom of the church: you've got to find what is meaningful to you--within certain boundaries that may be helpful, or certain guidelines. But one size does not fit all here.

Sister Shannon  
I think the church, in treating us as adults, we make the choice of how will we abstain, how will we give up, how will we make our relationship with God deeper and keep ourselves in touch with those that are poor? So that I think is really key. And what Carrie is doing is, in a kind of adult way, turning the whole notion of giving up on its head and thinking about what can I do for others? What can I do, so that I grow?

Sister Maxine  
And for her mom--making that realization, even though cleaning the bathroom, she says it's gonna be a bigger sacrifice the not eating chocolate--but the idea that she could give her mom a break then. So moms out there working, you know, doing the household chores. There's an awareness of that here in Carrie that I think is really beautiful.

Sister Shannon  
Yeah. I hope that we hear from Carrie at the end of Lent and hear what she decided to do and how it went for her. We will pray for you during that holy season and keep your thoughts and your prayers in our mind. 

Sister Maxine  
Amen. God bless, Carrie.

Sister Rejane  
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This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.