Chocolate you can eat during Lent . . . surely, that's not the point?

Thanks to Londiniensis on Twitter today for the 'heads up' on this article in today's Telegraph, and the link to this blog whose author makes some interesting comments about fasting in Lent.

Anyone who dips into my blog from time to time will know that just the mere mention of the word 'chocolate' makes my ears prick up! Naturally then, I was keen to investigate further.

A chocolate you can eat without getting fat ? . . . and it tastes like the real thing? - Surely, it's too good to be true! I skimmed the 'science bit' and gather that the new 'miracle product' consisits of nearly 2/3 water - no wonder then that the calories are drastically reduced.

But . . . and it's a big but as they say - Why do we fast in Lent? Not to lose weight, even if that is sometimes a beneficial side-effect (she says, hopefully :-)) Surely fasting in Lent is all about penance, discipline and self-denial.

Going without chocolate or some other favourite treat surely comes under the heading of abstinence rather than fasting, anyway, I would have said. Fasting, according to my understanding means managing with less food overall (once again incidentally, possibly resulting in weight loss, though of course this is not the aim.)

There should be some fruits of our fasting and abstinence however. Hopefully, by 'accompanying' Our Lord during his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness and experiencing, albeit in an infinitesimal way, some of the temptations that were placed before Him, it will help us to grow spiritually and generally be better people by the end of Lent. Here's hoping anway!

Got to dash now and iron my hair shirt!