Getting the balance right . . .

In some ways I find Lent a bit of a balancing act. I try to use it as a time of prayerful preparation for the Great Feast of Easter. I promise myself I'll try and do something extra - go to Rosary and Benediction, attend Stations of the Cross, make time for some spiritual reading, etc. etc.

The trouble is that this very act of making an extra effort for Lent means that my weeks are busier than ever and far from finding the extra peace I'm looking for, I sometimes end up feeling quite frazzled by the end of the week. It's a bit of a conundrum really. Perhaps, this is my Lenten penance after all as I'm a person who really values my 'down time'.

I'm looking forward to the weekend when we have a bit of break from the penitential aspect of Lent on Laetare Sunday. The sight of our clergy resplendent in their rose vestments is enough to cheer us all up.

Plus of course it's also Mothering Sunday and I know that plans are afoot to take me out for a meal. Yay!

What are the practices of Lent . . . ?

One of the great things about Twitter, to me at least, is the way that it alerts you to things that in all probability you would never even know existed. This might be a link to a news item, a photo, a blog post or an interesting video.

A very good example of what I mean is this excellent video featuring Fr Barron on the subject of what we should aim to be doing during Lent.

Thanks to @catholicseeking for linking to her blog post and for posting the video there.

Have you been shriven yet . . . ?

I knew Our Eldest wouldn't let me down on providing a great photo for the blog today!

I don't know how he managed to fold this creation before attacking it but he did.

And yes, that is banana . . . and cream . . . and ice cream . . . and chocolate sauce! Oo-er, I don't feel very well . . .

I'm more of a 'pancake purist' myself - just a little sugar and lemon juice on my pancake this evening.

Fortunately we did have an opportunity to be 'shriven' recently too as we have Confessions after Mass on the first Sunday of every month so the timing was excellent this year.

Man of Sorrows . . .

Man of sorrows, wrapt in grief,

Bow your ear to our relief;

You for us the path have trod

Of the dreadful wrath of God;

You the cup of fire have drained

Till its light alone remained.

Lamb of love our comfort be:

Hear our mournful litany.

By the garden filled with woe,

Where to rest you oft would go;

By your agony of prayer

In the desolation there;

By the dire and deep distress

More than human mind can guess,

Lord, our grief in mercy see:

Hear our fervent litany.

By that bitter cup of pain,

When your strength began to wane;

By those lips which once did pray

That it might but pass away;

By the heart that drank it dry

Lest the human race should die,

In your pity grant our plea,

Hear our solemn litany.

Man of sorrows, let your grief

Purchase for us our relief;

Lord of mercy, bow your ear,

Slow to anger, swift to hear:

By the cross's royal road,

Lead us to the throne of God,

There to sing triumphantly

Heaven's glorious litany.

(Matthew Bridges)

I love this hymn that we've just begun praying at Morning Prayer this week. Like many hymns, it can be used as a very good meditation. I just thought I'd share it with you.

2nd Sunday of Lent . . .

I always find it interesting when the Gospel is one of those very well known passages that we think we know well, as in today's account of the Transfiguration in St Luke's Gospel. Usually I find, that there is something in the homily that makes me look at it from a different aspect. Today at Mass our PP was talking to the children about the Gospel account and rather than concentrating on the vision of glory shown to the disciples, he chose to emphasise the words of God the Father, 'This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.'

These words echo the words of God the Father at Our Lord's Baptism in the Jordan, 'This is my beloved.'

On both occasions we are reminded of who Jesus is; this man being baptised by John and this same man at the top of Mount Tabor, is of course the Son of God.

In a way, the words and the instruction to 'listen to him' are linked to the vision of glory because it only by listening to the words of Jesus and following them that we stand a chance of experiencing that glory for ourselves.

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!

Ash Wednesday . . .

I wonder how many parishes still produce their own palm ash by burning last year's palms? I imagine the local 'Elf 'n' Safety' brigade would have a few things to say about you setting up your brazier in the middle of the church car park and setting to with a little conflagration!

Or, do the majority receive their ashes in nice neat little packets from a church supplies company? Either way, it doesn't really matter, I suppose. They are just as valid a sign of our repentance and intention to persevere with our Lenten endeavours whether the ashes are 'home-grown' or 'mass produced'.

I went on my own to Mass this morning as the Pater Familias is still in foreign parts and Number One Son decided to use up a day of his outstanding leave and go up to St Bede's, Clapham Park for Mass.

This year, Ash Wednesday falls during Half-Term for our local schools so it was good to see a fair number of children at Mass too. They would normally receive their Ashes at school.

Like most of the signs and symbols used in the liturgy during the Church's year, the imposition of ashes has a visual impact which produces an emotional response. That's one of the purpose of symbols, after all, I suppose. It is very impressive to see queues of people returning from the sanctuary step with the sign of the cross marked in ash on their forehead. And when it is your turn and you stand before the priest yourself, those words, 'Memento homo . . . ' or whatever form is used, I find profoundly moving.

Have you been shriven yet?

Have you been shriven yet? Ever since I first learned about the origins of the term 'Shrove Tuesday' I have difficulty in not smiling when I think about it. It's not that there's anything particularly amusing about the meaning of the word, to have your sins forgiven; it's just the word itself. It always makes me think of that film, 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' I can just hear, 'Honey, I've shriven the kids'. It sounds as if it has something to do with shrinking.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. In common with many parishes, we usually have a penitential service in Lent to encourage as many people as possible to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession and it is usually well attended too. Most years this happens towards the end of Lent so that we are ready for the Great Feast of Easter. (Less time for backsliders like me to get into serious trouble again!)

Thinking again of the origins of Shrove Tuesday, I wonder whether people were expected to go to Confession again before Easter (6 weeks is a long time to avoid sin!) or whether they were just inspired to try extra hard during Lent having started with 'a clean slate' so to speak after being shriven before Ash Wednesday.

Or maybe, it was placed at this time because of the excesses of Mardi Gras!

Of course in this country, we don't have the tradition of Carnival or Mardi Gras in the same way as they have in some parts of Europe or Rio. Shrove Tuesday in the UK is very tame in comparison - after all what is wildly excessive about eating a few pancakes!!

Mind you, after a few pancakes and finishing off all the chocolates before Ash Wednesday I can see why it's called Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)!

Tempus fugit . . .

Apologies for the long silence - caused both by Christmas 'busy-ness' and lack of inspiration!

We always joke about time seeming to go faster as we get older. Another 'old chestnut' is that once the Christmas Sales have finished, the shops start putting out Easter eggs.

This was brought home to me yesterday. After having had my hair cut, I went to make an appointment for my next visit, a week later than usual this time, and was told it would therefore be 17th February. Looking in my diary, I found it was Ash Wednesday. I couldn't believe that Lent is just 'one hair cut' away from Christmas. I think I've found a new way of measuring time!

Easter is just '2 hair cuts' away from Christmas.

Fasting ...

Thanks to Fr Leo again for the pictures for this slide show.

I don't want to be picky but I wish they'd used a crucifix rather than a plain cross so I've added my own slide at the end. Also that means I've got rid of, 'Smile, Jesus loves you.' I know He does but the only time I ever use that expression my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek!

Otherwise 10/10 for the rest!

Lenten Devotions

After a few light-hearted posts - nothing wrong with smiling (!) I thought it was about time I wrote something a bit more serious.

We are fortunate in our parish that during Lent we have the opportunity to go to both Rosary and Benediction and Stations of the Cross every week; Rosary and Benediction on Sunday afternoons and Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings.

I've noticed that as the weeks go on the numbers tend to increase at both devotions, as word gets around maybe.

I find both of these are very important in my Lenten preparation. They provide a much-needed oasis of calm in a fairly busy life and help me to focus on what is really important.

Unfortunately we had to miss the first Stations of the Cross on Friday as we had a minor crisis to deal with at home (all sorted out now, DG!) I did manage to make Rosary and Benediction on Sunday though which was as prayerful as ever. Our PP had to manage without any altar servers as those who would normally attend were busy at the Cathedral. We have a few faithful servers who come along to Benediction most Sunday afternoons.