Read DREADNOUGHTERS' Comments Below and/or Add Your Own V.R.S.N.S.M.V. + S.M.Q.L.I.V.B
Indeed.
Lent is still several hours away for some of us, but your reflection makes me anticipate it all the more.
God bless. Keep writing. And thanks for the reply.
No worries Richard, keep reading!
John,
I'm an RCIA candidate, gay, and not close to being conservative. Very occassionally you write something that is so heartfelt and full of passion, it truly moves me. Although I always read and reflect on what you have to say. Your reflection on Lent is beautiful. Thank you. However, I think chocolate will be easier to give up than masturbation! he he God bless.
Why is it your writing touches me so much and why do I feel there is Truth in what you write? Why is it that it all blends together: image, word, desire, ascesis, beauty, love, suffering, holiness? And still it makes some sense, a sense for which I simply do not have the words.
Beautiful...you have moved me to tears. I accept the challenge of living w/o the 'dual addiction' and my unbelief. It is a constant struggle. God bless, Joe
Dear Cap,
Yes, and God wants you to take the challenging path this Lent.
Dear John,
I read this as I have finished my preparation for Lauds at the school I work at. When time comes, I'll send you my thoughts.
Andy K,
Thanks for the comments. However, there is no way I could give up masturbation for Lent. Chocolate is do-able. Maybe even alcohol. Baby steps in the process of becoming Catholic is what it is all about for me. Jesus loves me, this I know. And I love him. The human, earthly requirements take a little more courage.
You're very candid Cap, which is a start. An old hermit-priest who counselled my mother once said God doesn't have an adding machine totally up our failures, it's the intent that counts.
And I'm not so sure that chocolate is harder to give up than a quick rub of the old fella!!
Good luck Joe. We don't have to do things alone. It often helps to have a spiritual director in a priest.
Thanks Andy K, I look forward to receiving them mate.
I don't know Vincent, I'm not always sure where it all comes from. Most of these posts take less than 15 mins to write. I'm certain, however, that it has very little to do with me.
I'm often in the way. A John free DREADNOUGHT? Maybe that can be my Lenten discipline? Ha!
John,
The adding machine analogy makes sense. During discussions about reconciliation with my priest (which mostly revolve around my fear of doing it, but needing to do it...if that makes sense) he has intimated similar sentiments. Thanks.
Just do it Cap 
Thanks for this thoughtful post. I'm coming to see that holiness is both a struggle and a gift. Good luck!
Something that I have read recently has been very helpful to me: "Only the power of God can recreate you, but He needs a point, just one point of truth in you. God cannot build on a lie, and this infinitesimal point of truth in you lies in the sincerity of your entreaty, and that’s all." (from Eucharist: a present, familiar reality)
Wonderful idea Fred K/Giussani. It's like praying for faith. The act itself is the hope He needs to satisfy the wider petition.
I should say, the 'hope He wants'. If He wants to knock us off our donkeys and make us believe (like St Paul) He'll do that too.
For the first time in my 51 years, I have been looking forward to this Lent. It's been just about 12 hours since receiving our Lord in communion -- I keep what I'd call an old-fashioned fast and eat nothing. I allow myself coffee only during the day, because I am addicted and the headache of withdrawal would distract me from my work . I will not break the fast until tomorrow morning at Mass. As I awoke this morning, I said my usual three Aves and Glory Bes, and had the realization that the hunger I'd feel today was a gift that would echo my hunger for the Lord. I know each will be satisfied.
On the subject of chocolate, I've given up all snacks save on Sundays and feast days. And as for the "old fella", he hasn't seen action since April.
God bless you all on your Lenten journeys.
Penetanguishene, your honesty is again disarming. It's important to keep a good fast, whether old fashioned or not.
I love the idea of looking forward to Lent.
DREAD, 2 of my oh so witty comments could not be made on this blog comment area called HALOSCAN due to me trying desperately to keep my LENT "fasts".
I usually give up chocolate, which makes me bonkers. My brother's 4 kidlets delight in shoving oodles of chocolate my way whenever I come over during Lent. No, caffeine, I can not give up due to high addition.
So I prayed and thought and thought. Some sins on my heart came up. So I made my list. One of them is from Ship-of-Fools.com (Simon's list put together from shipmates there)...
1) Be totally utterly honest with God. Tell Him ALL you are feeling. He knows anyway. Simple? Not when you are feeling sinful which is often in my case.
2) Trying not to lecture anybody. Godly lecturing (admonishing) is ok but that is so seldom seen in my book. I tend to give...TUFF LUV. A little too much.
3) Trying not to swear AND not to use eupehisms, as is my style and fashion. It is hard and I have already failed!
smiling cuz you told me to on another HALOSCAN comment section and because I am thinking of the 2 comments I so wanted to make, but only did in my mind.
Swearing is not a sin, but if it's derived from laziness (sloth is a sin), then it's good to cut it out.
Smile away, you light the comments box, so very black and penitential!
Lent's the time to focus; to make the attempt we might otherwise tell ourselves is too tough; to trust God that sinlessness in our lives is not beyond His means if we're willing to seriously take up the challenge; to put ourselves back on the path of rightousness through God' grace and remind ourselves we belong on it all year long, not just during Lent.
DREAD,
I respectfully disagree with you, my brotha.
I am getting out my Steel-Plated Bible..THUMP THUMP!
Albeit Paul uses a swear word of that day to make a point of all things being dung in Philippians 3:8 (skubalon used in Greek which means refuse of animals and also all things worthless & detestable), the Bible also is clear that you do not let any unwholesome word come from your mouth Ephesians 4:29. The Greek word used there is Sapros which means rotten, putrefield, corrupted, poor quality, unfit, bad.
Of course even silly talk is considered bad in Ephesians 5:4 (probably wrong time/wrong place).
What all this means is different things to different people.
I agree with you Duchess, but I'm reasonably sure those sections refer to calumny, gossip, evil speech, etc. Not to harmless little swear words used for emphasis, etc.
John, that was the longest sentence ever seen (I think) on DREADNOUGHT. Hurrah!
Lent: Giving up neglecting God.
You could write bumper stickers steerpike!
haha Dread!
The first car to get one would be my own.
I meant to add (with true penitence):
mea culpa,
mea culpa,
mea maxima culpa.
Iranian homosexuals are extradited from the Netherlands at this very moment. They are being deported into the claws of one of the most murderous regimes on earth, Pray for their souls, their humanity, their dignity. Our government doesn't seem too concerned it.
And so the pendulum swings. Too much liberalism (i.e., Weimar Germany) often breeds rigid authoritarianism.
We're all praying for them Vincent.
I'm not sure Dreadnoughters's prayer helped, but extraditing to Iran has been halted temporarily. By the way, another group threatened are former Iranian Muslims who converted to Christianity. They too need our prayers.
Let me tease you: it's the lefties who defended the Christians most vigorously in Parliament the past few days. And I do not agree with your equivocation of the Weimar Republic with what's happening in the Netherlands. Our history is very different from 'they brought us the two biggest bloodbaths in hístory' Germany's.
Your unconditional assenting to Catholic teaching is still a mystery to me. While your Christian beliefs are so true to my heart, many aspects contradict my background, my upbringing, my beliefs and my ideas. But still I do not know how to quit you. If I bore you, please BAN me.
Good God, I'd never do that Vincent. You delight me.
You don't know how to quit because you are seduced by these ideas. We're made for the Light and once warmed by it, we cannot wander back into the cold dark night.
I'm not against all Leftists (although I am sure - like most who devote themselves to a merely political ideology - they're often mistaken).
Anyone who does good is fine by me, I don't care what he calls himself!
Re the dilema of whether to give up chocalate or the quick rub.
If you have to give up something for Lent, I always think it best to try and give up a sin rather than something good.
The hard part for some is sorting out what's a sin and what's good. Should be easy in this case. I don't think the Catechism says anything about chocalate.
I suppose the idea is that indulgence or sloth is the sin. Indeed, giving up itself - abstinence and self denial, are worthy ends in themselves.
Of course, a positive spin sees people doing something extra (i.e. visiting the sick, etc.).
I heard you read at 1pm on Ash Wednesday. You intoned the psalm well. Thank you 
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