Fr. Don at Mass this morning asked how to make Lent "special"? He observed that we usually don't think of Lent as "special" in the sense of something we look forward to, because who looks forward to "giving up" something?
As Fr. Don noted, Lent offers us an opportunity to "give up" something. Why do that? I suggest that in giving up something we think we value (usually because we do it often or out of habit) , we may uncover something that is more valuable, something we've forgotten about or let slip into the background during "ordinary" life. In other words, maybe our habits and behaviors are blocking our appreciation of what is really valuable and special.
For example, maybe by sacrificing our ordinary TV-watching time or our habit of regular drinking alcohol, we would open ourselves more to our family and friends, and thereby help us to to better appreciate (and enjoy) the gift of their company.
So, to answer Fr. Don, we can make Lent "special" by noticing the gifts we get through giving up! I don't know about you, but I'm going to keep my eyes open!
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