OOPS!! It is Lent

The blog this week is from the weekly note that I send to the parents of St. Pius X Catholic School.  Every week this note contains important dates, events, and a short note from me. 

I am not sure if I am the only one who feels that the Lenten season raced upon us from out of nowhere, but I cannot believe I am the only one…  We have had two days, Ash Wednesday and the first Friday to practice fasting and abstinence.  Only three days into it, and I have already screwed up.

Being out of school on Friday for “winter break,” is a first for me.  I cannot recollect any time, as a student or teacher, that I received an extended break in the winter, with the exception of the blizzard of 1978.  So this new concept had me racking my brain as to what I am going to do with the extra time.
 

I promised my wife that I would get up early and take our children to school.  This would allow her to go to her Indianapolis office straight from the house, without making stops.  Then I would come home, and accomplish any “honey-do” chores she would like me to complete.  And, being the planner that I am, I had my day scripted out to the letter/task.
 

Well as luck would have it, I was at the preverbal stopping point.  I had just moved a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, completed said cleaning task, and was either ready to start the next task, or take a break for lunch.  As you can imagine, lunch prevailed.
 

As I proceeded to prepare my plate, I decided for a sandwich and chips, with a glass of iced tea, while watching a little of the Pebble Beach Pro Am Golf Tournament.   As I was watching the golf tournament, the camera operator decided to show a picture of the ocean, as they often do for this tournament.(side note: for those that do not watch golf, I suggest you watch this tournament some time, for you will see some of the most magnificent marine life) 
 

Let me set the scene, the camera angle was from the blimp, flying overhead.  It was a wide screen shot showing this incredibly large school of dolphins.  There were so many dolphins, that they could not fit on the screen.  This beautiful picture got me thinking of dolphins and those that sometimes get caught in tuna nets.  This led me to think of the fact that it had been a long time since I have had a homemade tuna sandwich.  This led me to recollect that every Friday in Lent, growing up, my mother always made tuna sandwiches.  It was then, on the second bite of my turkey sandwich, that it dawned on me that it was Friday and I should not be eating meat.
 

Well, it has been a whopping three days and I have already put my own thoughts before God.  My wife thinks it is rather funny, since I am the one constantly reminding her of the Friday Lent rules, especially since she is the one that packs our children’s lunches, that I have already failed in the abstinence portion of Lent.  I mean the ashes are barely off my head and I have forgotten my Lenten obligations.  It was immediately that I split the remaining turkey sandwich into two parts, one for each dog, all was upset with myself about my error.  I am usually better than this.
 

As my thoughts progressed, I was reminded of the reason for the season of Lent.  I am a sinner, and there is nothing I can do about that.  I will always be a sinner, for I will never be perfect.  God knew this and sent his only Son to die for our sins, so we may have the gift of the Sacraments and eternal life with Him. 
 

So instead of punishing myself too much, I choose to forgo the rest of my lunch and I used this fasting opportunity to think about God and all He has done for us.  Regardless of what I have decided to give up, or what rules I break, or what sins I commit, God will never deny me forgiveness, so long as I ask.  His Son died so we may receive forgiveness of all sins, even the smallest.