Making Sacrifices...

So that time of the year is coming upon us again - the time when Catholic Christians throughout the world make a sacrifice for the Lenten season. The popular notion amongst people of this faith is to make a "sacrifice to please God." Unfortunately, that is the wrong conception one can have the season.

Lent gives us an opportunity to "die" to our old ways and to "rise" with Jesus to a new way of life. Even though we may have already become believers and experienced a conversion of heart - or became born again - our decision to let the old ways die and follow Christ in new ways is one we can make over and over again, especially during Lent. But doing so involves conversion.

What are some of the "old ways" that we need to "die" to? Many of these are personal choices and attitudes that we have gotten used to: being selfish with our time and money, refusing to help others, saying hurtful things to get a laugh, or not putting effort into school, work, and/or into our gifts/talents. Other "old ways" are attitudes and choices that we often share with the society around us: ignoring the needs of poor or homeless people, not caring for those who are sick or hungry, or allowing the most vulnerable among us to go without the help they need. Lent gives us a chance, with God's grace and our best efforts, to change our minds, our hearts, and our lives.

Isaiah speaks to us about the meaning of Lent. His words serve as a great remnder of the Lenten practices that we follow in order to move toward conversion: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What can you "do for Lent" in one or more areas?

Whatever you decide to do, it is also important to remember that Lent is a season of grace. It is not so much about what we do but about Jesus' presence with us, calling us to come closer and closer to him each day. Whatever our failures or trials in responding to his call, we are never overcome. We can always renew our efforts with help of the grace he gives us. And renewal is always possible for us, for we are following our Savior who faced what we faced, yet still manages to lead us through death into new life.

So the following is a list of points/tips I'd like to make about the upcoming season.

1) Remember that what we should sacrifice is whatever keeps us away from God. Meaning, unless it is keeping you away from God, I don't think sacrificing chocolates, soda, fast food, etc. brings the message home.

2) Fasting is not about starving yourself. If you fast, you will likely become hungry at some point during the day. Instead of moaning and groaning, just ask God to fill that hunger for you, and if you believe He will, then He will. Jesus speaks about fasting in the Gospel of Matthew. On that note, too, maybe you should wash your face after attending mass on Ash Wednesday. Who you are and what you are embarking on is between you and God. No need to wear an ash-cross throughout the day. Just remember that from ashes we came, and to ash we shall return.

3) Instead of sacrificing one of the superficial items listed as number one, some examples of good sacrifices can be taking out of the New Testament. St. Paul gives us good examples of positive sacrifices we can make to grow in our relationship with Christ, and to help those who have lost all hope and/or purpose.

4) When making sacrifices, it's supposed to be a life-changing one. For example, if you give up pride or being overly lustful, it's not supposed to last only until Easter. If not, what change have you really made in your life?

5) I invite all of my non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters to partake in the season as well. Lent should not be for Catholics alone, but for Christians of all denominations and traditions. I'm not saying that you have to celebrate Ash Wednesday or Palm Sunday, but I think a Pauline sacrifice would benefit each of us as individuals.

What Pizza Can Teach Politicans

I know a lot of people who exclusively turn to Fox News for their news, and I know those who turn exclusively to MSNBC. I, like other people, prefer CNN over the other two (I'm not a big fan of overtly biased news coverage). Saying that, each of the competing networks provides me with at least one show that I like watching on their respective networks. I'm a fan of Glenn Beck's show on Fox News (though I prefer the radio host Glenn Beck [the more libertarian kind of guy] over the Fox News version of Glenn Beck [the more...Fox News-y kind of guy]). And over on MSNBC, I enjoy watching Morning Joe.

A couple of weeks ago, as I was watching Joe, they aired Domino's Pizza's commercial, "The Pizza Turnaround" which you can view below. I started thinking how much better shape this country would be in if more politicians would air ads like Dominos Pizza. Instead of trying to ram agendas while keeping the truth from reaching the eyes and ears of the public, what if they would actually talk about the complaints that have been made, and then prove that they are trying to reverse their errors?

President Obama has called for a greater sense of bipartisanship in Washington. But this doesn't mean that politicians cannot disagree. This means that dialogue should be kept civil and sometimes, the two sides have to compromise in the middle. While I am not the biggest fan of moderation (as my political beliefs may seem radical to many), I think it's time for politicians to attempt to save whatever dignity and humanity remains in the nation's capital, and in all the state and local governments across the country.

Enjoy the video.