Lenten Promise and Penance

+JMJ

Praised be Jesus Christ!
Lent is only a week away. A time that I am hoping to fortify my faith and to grow in holiness. The past 6 months have been a time full of falling away, sloth, and sin. It was 6 months before I made my last confession. It was a sad time and one that I wish never to go through again. The pain to have to face Our Lord, knowing you cannot receive Him is great and weighs heavily upon the heart. But, blessed be God in His mercy. Confession bestows great graces for those who seek Him and His forgiveness. These past 6 months have in reality undone all of the work done within me these past 7 years. I feel like I am starting over again from the very beginning. He is calling me to be renewed and to be holy. The scars of my sins will be with me for a very long time, but the pain they caused will be strength enough to fight back the next time that temptation comes to seek and destroy. By the grace of God, I will fight back. May He be praised for His compassion and mercy.

Now, this lent I am hoping to be intense. I want to live life as I have never lived it before. There are so many things that I am hoping to do and get done this Lenten Season that I will be changed within to a point where I can never go back. I have a great list already of things that I would like to do this lent, both promises and penances. I know that if I attempt to do them all, I will just have a complete overload and would fail at keeping several of them. On the other hand, many of them go hand in hand in helping completing each 'task,' if you will.

• Give up elevators
• Give up sugar (low sugar diet)
• Give up meat
• A weekly adoration hour
• Go to weekly confession
• Go to daily Mass
• Pray the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary daily
• Get to bed by 10pm (unless on duty or in meetings)
• Get up by 7am
• Read the Bible
• Read the Catechism
• Read devotional/religious/apologetics/theology book(s)
• Create one great religious work of art
  

The list as of now is quite long, but if paced well, it is possible to accomplish. Morning and Evening prayer will be a great way to keep my day focused and Mass, adoration, and confession will keep me in a state of grace and enrich my daily living. There are also many other tasks that I need to work on getting done as well, being an RA and all, but God will grant me the time I need to get what I need to get done.

I also ask that whoever reads this will pray for me as I start anew this Lent. I want to be changed totally, and lent is surely a time for this to happen. Please, also leave your intentions so that I may pray for you as well. I want to be able to help others as I engage my mission. May your lent be life changing as well! God bless you all abundantly!

Lord, Thy Will Be Done!