The Lenten Hangover
theophilus March 24th, 2008
Easter Sunday is past – so is Holy Week – so is Lent. For some, it seems like months ago that Lent started – for others, it seems like yesterday.
For me – if I did Lent right – Easter Monday feels like a hangover – or maybe more like a letdown. I guess it’s because the Church affords us so many opportunities to grow closer to Christ and Lent gives us the fortitude (or is it the excuse) to practice self-discipline and change things in our lives that we never had the strength to change – that I just feel – well, I just feel like it’s a letdown when it’s over.
This letdown raises a big question for us - ”where do we go from here?” Do we go back to our old spiritual and personal habits, or do we let the things we worked on take hold? Do we spend more time with Christ, or do we let everything else interfere, again? Do we spend everyday exhibiting Christian joy and the peace that comes from truly living our Catholic faith, or do we sink again into the anxiety and fear that can creep in when we let the uncertainty of this world overwhelm us?
Yesterday started the beginning of the Easter season. Fifty days (seven weeks) to let the changes of Lent take hold – to continue to focus on becoming the person we want to be – the person Christ wants us to be.
Let’s avoid the hangover – let’s avoid the letdown – let’s continue the journey started almost seven weeks ago. Let us have hope in the better us.
