Sacrificing is Bigger Than Lent
Sacrifice restores our innocence. But that should go beyond Lent. There are other ways to practice penances throughout Lent and throughout the year.
Lent is all about sacrifice—to “recover by penance what we have lost by sin.” We all put thought into what we’re giving up for Lent, which is ordinarily a 40-day sacrifice. But there are other ways to practice penances throughout Lent and throughout the year. Here are three ideas that can help you in the short term (the act) and the long term by training your will to act more in line with holiness all year. A reformed will requires breaking bad habits, and building good ones.
Choose less than what you want.
Feel like having another cup of coffee? Have a cup of tea instead. Or have your coffee, but skip the milk or sugar you usually mix into it. Choosing less than what you really want is a great way to offer up small sacrifices that are easy to do. It also conditions the will to subjection to the mind—it does what you choose rather than to be given license to have what it wants.
Choosing less than what you really want doesn’t have to be about choosing a virtue instead of a vice. Having another coffee isn’t sinful,. But saying ‘no’ to having that second cup strengthens the will so that when it comes time to choose virtue and/or to choose against vice, you’re bringing a stronger will to the battle.
Go the extra mile
Sacrifice isn’t just about saying “no” it can also be about saying “yes”—doing more than what you want or need to do. Whether it’s an extra chore, extra attention paid to a particular task, or doing more than what you’re asked to do for someone else, going the extra mile is not only sacrificial, it’s also an exercise in charity.
40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
-Matthew 5:41
Jesus teaches this kind of ordinary self-sacrifice in the Gospels. In Matthew 5 he presents scenarios where we have a certain right or entitlement but are asked to forgo it, in charity. We have a right to our “shirt” but Jesus tells us to not only relinquish the shirt, but to also offer our “coat”. We shouldn’t be forced to go “a mile” but if we are, go two miles instead. Give above and beyond what you are supposed to give of yourself, of your time, of your attention.
This spirit of generosity, giving your most precious treasure (yourself!) may sting at times. But acting through that momentary interior pain rather than avoiding it makes us stronger, in the same way that exercise may be strenuous and make us feel worn, but the result is renewed strength and good physical conditioning. The soul needs good conditioning, too!
The last will be first
Take second place (or third or fourth…) and let someone go ahead of you in line. Or be the last to be served. Let others take priority. Regarding others as more important than yourself is an imitation of Christ Himself. Bonus virtue: Humility.
This helps us to recognize the dignity and value of others, and to prioritizE others over ourselves. Prioritizing the self is a fundamental vice that we’re all born with and it’s the cornerstone of every moral disfigurement of our hearts, minds and actions. Endure the pain, and perhaps the humiliation of putting others first, even in seemingly insignificant ways.
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Matthew 5:19-20
It’s reasonable to assume that Jesus and the apostles were the last to eat after the crowds were fed. They kept working while everyone else was eating.
Of course being more prayerful is a great practice, too. But sometimes that's a little too easy and not challenging enough. These three things will challenge you without killing you, and will help you to grow without stretching you thin. Try it and see!
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Have a good and holy Lent! See you on the other side! (Easter).
Ave Maria, Virgo Fidelis!