Lent: It’s Only Ash Wednesday and I Already Miss My Netflix

I don’t know about you, but I”m a Lent wimp. I tend toward self-indulgence. So I find sacrifices very difficult. While I’m not writing this post on Ash Wednesday, the thoughts that inspired it did actually happen. I had spent the day with this year’s sacrifice – giving up watching Netflix (really the only source of TV we have) – and had gone to Ash Wednesday Mass that evening. Coming home and putting the kids to bed, the evening suddenly became uncharacteristically quiet. I felt a great void where my habitual Netflix indulgence used to be. And I thought to myself, “My goodness. It’s only Ash Wednesday and I already miss my Netflix.”

If you struggle in the same way I do, here are some thoughts to strengthen you.

Why Do We Kill Ourselves Every Lent?

The tradition of making these sacrifices goes back to the early days of the Church. These 40 days were a time when catechumens – those studying to enter the Church – would be asked to prepare themselves to receive the Sacraments of Initiation during the celebration of the Easter Mass by fasting and praying for 40 days. Other Catholics would join the catechumens in their preparation as an act of solidarity. It was really an act of love.

RT @markhoppus: For lent, I’m giving up.

The tradition of giving things up continued, even after the requirements for catechumens were relaxed. But it has sadly lost its original meaning. It has been reduced in the minds of most Catholics to a simple discipline that we do as a point of law. It’s just part of being a member of the Catholic Club.

Sacrifice is Supposed to Hurt

A lot of well-meaning Catholic advice out there offers people alternatives to sacrifice for Lent. “Do something positive instead of giving something up.” The idea is to try to make this a time of joy rather than a time of drudgery. But there’s a big problem with this advice. Despite being wrapped up in a soft sell, this is really legalism. It’s a form of legalism that I call “soft legalism” – it is also called minimalism. The underlying attitude is, “We have to do this thing, but at least we can make it less miserable.”

Sacrifice is too difficult, we think. But I can do something more enjoyable. This is really a humanistic (or hedonistic) philosophy, not a Christian one. Rather than avoiding pain, Christians are called to embrace it – not for its own sake – but for the sake of the good that God can bring out of it. Think about it. Why do we find sacrifice difficult (you fellow Lent wimps)? Don’t we find it difficult because we have become selfish, self-absorbed, self-pampering? The pain I experience in my longing for my usual Netflix routine is really a sign that I have taken something good and made it an obsession. I need the pain of sacrifice to remind me to put it back where it belongs.

Stop Being So Legalistic!

Another thing I see a lot of out in the Catholic Net is what I call “hard legalism.” Probably in response to the fluffy advice about avoiding pain, many Catholic bloggers and writers treat the sacrifice as a hard-and-set Church law. But guess what? It’s not! In fact, the only thing the Church requires for Lent is that we abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and on each Friday, and that we fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. That’s it. Giving up Netflix? Totally optional. Highly recommended, but totally optional.

So seriously – while I don’t recommend avoiding the pain of sacrifice, you can really set up any spiritual program that works for you. A common question is “are Sundays considered cheat days?” The answer? That’s totally up to you! Your choice!

My purpose in telling you this is not to “let you off the hook,” but to encourage you to make your chosen sacrifice into an act of love as it’s supposed to be. Avoid both sides of legalism.

Rediscover the original meaning of the sacrifice. Offer your sacrifice in love – either in solidarity with people entering the Church, or on someone else’s behalf for the salvation of their soul. This Lent I’m offering my sacrifice for my wife and my children (my children especially need all the grace they can get!). So tonight, instead of watching Star Trek I’ll open a good book – or maybe have a nice conversation with my wife – and I’ll also pray. And when I feel the pinch of longing to watch a movie or show, I”ll offer the pain up for my family.

Have a beautiful Lent!

[ ATTRIBUTE: MTSOfan After Worship. February 6, 2008. Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/8628862@N05/2247224657. Used per license agreement fount at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode.]

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