Random thoughts on Lent

Saturday after Ash Wednesday.

Q: is a spoonful of sugar ok to help the Lenten medicine go down?  

Ah yes, the wisdom of Mary Poppins.   Shortly after the Bank’s children realize that Mary Poppins meets all of their advertised requirements she begins like all English nannies to disciple the children with a fun game called “Well begun is half done/lets tidy of the nursery”.  She goes on to explain that “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun.  You find the fun and snap, the job’s a game.”   

So, is washing up 48 hours worth of dishes fun? No.  Is listening to the angelic voices of the Benedictine sisters of Mary sing Lenten songs of lament and heartbreak on their “Lent at Ephesus” album fun? In a curious way it is.   So, why not listen to “Lent at Ephesus” while washing up the dishes and trying to clean up the kitchen.     Is waking up at 8 am on my day off to exercise & pray something I really want to do? No.  Is listening to Bishop Robert Barron’s annual Ash Wednesday’s homily where he reminds people they should be fasting from more than food (like gossiping or negative talk), taking time to up your prayer game by adding prayer into your day or going to daily mass, and make sure you give alms by maybe going for the Iphone 13 instead of the Iphone 14 and giving the difference to the poor something I would rather do. Yes.  So why not listen to Bishop Barron’s Ash Wednesday’s homily while doing some of my morning stretching exercises.

I was good, I was doing good, and I felt good up until 11 am when I strangely felt exhausted, wanted to lay down for just a few minutes before leaping up and doing other task and I ended up taking a three-hour nap.   Maybe it was because I hadn’t had a cup of coffee.  Maybe my weight turned what seemed like a simple task of washing up the dishes into a major exercise. 

Ultimately my fortitude left me and I went back to my slothy ways as I binge watched “Tulsa King” with my husband on the couch while Door Dashing a Chinese take out meal I could have at least gotten ½  off for if I felt like leaping up off the couch to go pick it up from the local Chinese restaurant.  Why do I enjoy being a sinner?