Lent...a silly season?

A week ago, I was sitting in Mass listening to our priest explain that the Lenten season is a silly season.  What?  He immediately got my attention.  His point was…we give up 'something' for 40 days and make everyone around us miserable because we’re irritable! Then we rejoice when Lent is over and go back to eating chocolate, drinking, smoking, cursing, etc.  I had to laugh.  He challenged us to give up or acquire a habit over the next 40 days that will ‘stick’ so that when Lent is over, we have made a positive choice that will impact the rest of our lives.  Doesn’t that make sense…seems so simple!

15 years ago I converted to Catholicism.  I love this time of year!  One of my favorite memories happened last year!  Please don’t judge me :)  Somehow over the last 15 years of being a Catholic, I have managed to miss the “confession” opportunity.  For those of you that are Catholic…you know this is impossible!!!  My oldest son, Michael, said that he would go with me and told me not to be nervous.  As we stood in the confessional line, I stared intently at the red light over the door signaling that the priest was occupied.  Michael said that he would go first...what a brave, sweet child!  We made it to the front of the line and Michael was next.  Then out stepped the priest covering his eyes and said, “I’m so sorry but I can only take one more person because I have to be in the upcoming Mass.”  My precious first born jumped up (in front of everyone) and said, “Mom you have to go because you haven’t been in 15 years!”  Seriously?  I turned every shade of red, tucked my head and slowly walked into the confessional.  I survived!!  I can laugh now but I was mortified when it happened!

There will be many special religious events over the next couple of weeks.  Here are a couple of invitations and gift ideas.  I’ll leave you with a quote I just read…

Be the kind of woman (man) that when your feet hit the floor each morning…the Devil says, “Oh Crap, she’s up!”  Ha…have a great week friends!