While as a child Lent meant replacing my Disney afteschool lineup with religious epics (my brother and I can quote almost all of 'The Ten Commandments' and 'Jesus of Nazareth'), eating spaghetti for dinner at least twice a week, and spending what felt like endless hours in church, as an adult I have come to know Lent as a time of renewal both spiritually and physically.
As an Orthodox Christian, if I were to strictly follow lenten guidelines, as a general rule I would abstain from meat and dairy products for the entire forty days, including the week preceding the beginning of Lent and the week before Easter, for a total of 56 days.
On Wednesdays and Friday, which are considered strict fast days, I would also abstain from oil, fish with backbones, and alcohol. I am the first to admit this is way too challenging for me to do, even for just 56 days. Sorry, Jesus!
Lent is also the perfect time for 'spring cleaning' your soul and eliminating the distractions that take you away from your purpose. I hope that this Lent I will make the time to mediate more, exercise more, be outside a little more, and do more things that make me happy. As a Christian, I can't ignore that Jesus is the reason I observe Lent in the first place. But I also think that one of the best ways I can thank Jesus for His ultimate sacrifice is to acknowledge that His spirit lives within me and to take better care of myself.
That being said, Jesus and I hope to see y'all at Ramparts for wing night April 18.
