For another, the run-up is way better. The Season of Advent has candles and those little cardboard calendars filled with cheap chocolate. But the Season of Lent is 40 days of self-sacrifice, discipline, and spiritual contemplation. Not convinced of the awesomeness? Read on.
40 Awesome Things About Lent
- Smudged forehead on Ash Wednesday tells the world, "I get dirty for Jesus!"
- Giving up something fattening is like going on a Pope-approved diet.
- Annual viewing of Jesus Christ Superstar (see awesome video clip above).
- Ditto for Easter Parade.
- Fish sticks for everyone!
- Moodiness, surliness, bad hair days, etc. can be explained away with one word: "Fasting."
- Opportunity to coordinate wardrobe with hip new rosary styles.
- Good news: Mel Gibson rants notwithstanding, Catholics don't blame Jews for the Crucifixion.
- Sundays don't count!
- If you give up candy for 40 days, the sugar buzz on Easter Sunday is a religious experience.
- Stephen Colbert, America's most kick-ass Catholic, is suffering right along with me.
- Palm Sunday reading of the Passion (if your priest plays a good Jesus; otherwise, eh.)
- Palm origami!
- Good time to get Confession out of the way for another year (for those of us who don't go every month/week/day/12 hours).
- One of the only times of the year when the priest breaks out the censer!
- Cadbury Creme Egg season!
- Jelly bean season!
- Peeps season!
- Those Russell Stover creme-filled eggs (but not maple walnut, because I always got stuck with those and nobody ever wanted to trade their cherry or chocolate fudge for them) season!
- Lilies become cheap and plentiful (I love lilies).
- You don't have to buy Easter gifts for anyone else, but you get to shop for a new outfit.
- Actually, you should buy two outfits, because the weather is really unpredictable this time of year.
- Great way to get your kid to stop doing that annoying thing you hate for 40 days.
- Chance to debate the historical and theological accuracy of The Life of Brian.
- God listens to prayers more closely during Lent (really, he does).
- Better-quality wine at Mass (oh, they'll deny it, but it's true).
- The choir tries harder to sound good.
- White shoes start appearing in stores.
- "I gave it up for Lent" is all-purpose humorous answer to co-workers' requests for assistance.
- Meatless Fridays provide valid excuse to turn down cookout invitations from annoying neighbors/relatives.
- Spring allergies more tolerable when seen as part of Lenten suffering.
- Bratty little kids haven't yet learned they don't have to be good for the Easter Bunny the way they do for Santa Claus.
- The smell of vinegar during egg-dyeing. (Best. Smell. Ever.)
- If you can't stick with your Lenten promise, you don't actually go to Hell (no matter what your grandma or Sunday School teacher told you).
- Baby bunnies! (Look, but don't adopt.)
- Fresh votives for the prayer candles.
- Thinking about the agony of the Crucifixion puts that fresh door ding into perspective, doesn't it?
- For 40 days the Church keeps its nose out of politics and concentrates on actual religion.
- If your birthday falls during Lent, you are extra-special. When it falls on Easter Sunday, you don't have to cook dinner.
- Let's face it, the extra prayers can't hurt.
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