My Lenten Observance - by elaine

This is the fourth year that I am making and following through with a Lenten observance. I'll have to admit though that before I started going out with Aaron, I'd never thought of making a formal Lenten observation. Although he was the one who got me started on it, I now do it of my own volition. However, it does really help a lot to have a buddy or close friend who is also making a Lenten observance to do it with it. It's kind of like going on a diet or sticking to an exercise regime together.

Before I get too much into what my Lenten observance is, let me first explain what a Lenten observance is. Lent is a season of prayer, fast and almsgiving, and a Lenten observance is sort of like our commitment to do something extra during the season of Lent. It could be commiting to spending more time in prayer, giving up a beloved activity or food item, or giving a little more to charity.

When I first started making a Lenten observance, I started by simply going vegetarian for the season. This year, I'm adopting a two-pronged approach to my Lenten observance. The first part of it is to give up meat. This was my Lenten observance for three of the last four seasons of Lent. I decided to make this year a bit different by committing to packing my own lunchbox to work everyday. This way, I can donate the money that I save to the poor.

The next part of my observance this year is to pray more. Last year, I was unable to give up meat during Lent (long story; you can ask me in person if you want to know why), so I committed myself to saying the Rosary every morning on the way to work. (And that was how I got started on the Rosary mp3s that I mentioned in my earlier post.) So my observance this Lent is to spend more time in prayer, both for set prayers (like the Rosary) and for my own spontaneous prayer. I often find it hard to keep to a routine of prayer during everyday life, and I hope that my observance during this season of Lent will, as it did last year, jumpstart my flagging prayer life with the injection of routine and regularity into it.

So that's my sharing on this. What about you? Are you doing something extra for Lent? Even though we are already in the season of Lent, it's never too late to start. :)