February 25, 2007
Focus: “Chocolate Free – Chocolate Full!”
Dear Friend,
Lent: the only festival among world religions to be celebrated by the non-eating of chocolate!
Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, fasting and praying, preparing a mission, fighting temptation, working through his calling. Then, in the early church, Lent was the time for new Christians to learn the faith, and for the rest of them to devote themselves to prayer and fasting, a sort of spring cleaning of the soul in readiness for the big day.
And we have a six-week chocolate-free diet.
Did you ever feel today’s practice of our faith was missing out on something? Identifying Lent with not eating chocolate misses the point almost as much as identifying Easter with eating it!
This year let us bring you an Idea-A-Day for Lent: 40 ways to do something more with your 40 days.
A friend sent me the following list as a more creative and adventurous way of approaching the season. They are a bit more challenging, more reflective, an alternative, and they are more ancient. They involve carrier bags, paint, money, traffic jams and poetry. They are designed to stretch you, make you think, tone up some forgotten spiritual muscles, put your time to good use and get some fresh air in there. They are practical and positive. I hope you’ll try some of them, and give your spirit something new to do. And sure this year, go on, have a Mars Bar!
Day 1 – Wed 21 Feb: Go on a media diet
Day 2 – Thur 22 Feb: Find Lent readings
Day 3 – Fri 23 Feb: Recycle, free cycle
Day 4 – Sat 24 Feb: Upload a poem
Day 5 – Mon 26 Feb: Walk and watch
Day 6 – Tues 27 Feb: Your chore is my chore
Day 7 – Wed 28 Feb: Bake a cake
Day 8 – Thur 1 Mar: Out your doubts
Day 9 – Fri 2 Mar: Someone else’s preference
Day 10 – Sat 3 Mar: Send a message
Day 11 – Mon 5 Mar: Give blood
Day 12 – Tues 6 Mar: Phone a friend
Day 13 – Wed 7 Mar: Go walking
Day 14 – Thur 8 Mar: The boss
Day 15 – Fri 9 Mar: Extra worship
Day 16 – Sat 10 Mar: Pray the paper
Day 17 – Mon 12 Mar: Look out the window
Day 18 – Tues 13 Mar: Read a Gospel
Day 19 – Wed 14 Mar: Pay some compliments
Day 20 – Thur 15 Mar: Research Lent
Day 21 – Fri 16 Mar: Slim down your wardrobe
Day 22 – Sat 17 Mar: Make a joy jar
Day 23 – Mon 19 Mar: Don’t Moan Day
Day 24 – Tues 20 Mar: Christmas in Lent
Day 25 – Wed 21 Mar: Almighty email
Day 26 – Thur 22 Mar: Help a child in school
Day 27 – Fri 23 Mar: Widen your prayers
Day 28 – Sat 24 Mar: A week of giving
Day 29 – Mon 26 Mar: Who’s next door?
Day 30 – Tues 27 Mar: Think small
Day 31 – Wed 28 Mar: Random acts of kindness
Day 32 – Thur 29 Mar: Stop shopping
Day 33 – Fri 30 Mar: A note of thanks
Day 34 – Sat 31 Mar: Your carbon footprint
Day 35 – Mon 2 Apr: Don’t interrupt
Day 36 – Tues 3 Apr: Instead of money
Day 37 – Wed 4 Apr: Write your own obituary
Day 38 – Thur 5 Apr: Empty your wallet
Day 39 – Fri 6 Apr: Light a virtual candle
Day 40 – Sat 7 Apr: A clean sweep
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
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