During Lent, many Catholics give up something that they enjoy in order to deny themselves for a change. God, of course, doesn't need our sacrifices. We need Him, however. I am more aware of my utter weakness when I am struggling with temptation. A mistake is to go through Lent on my own steam. I am doomed to fail. I once heard a priest say in his homily that Every temptation can be overcome with God's help. I didn't know that. The idea is to be brought to our knees where we beg God to help us in the Spiritual Battle that is constantly being waged all around us and may I say in us.
This year I added some character flaws to my line up of things to give up. This has been an exercise in being aware of just how often I do plunge into anger, impatience, criticism and complaining. Obviously I can never get rid of these by wishful thinking. I believe that God can help me resist these temptations by praying right then and there for His help (and then by keeping my mouth shut). I continue to fail to do that! This Lent I am more aware of my unworthiness but have full confidence in His unfailing Mercy and Love.I hope that I will develop some more compassion for my children's occasional foibles by seeing how constantly I fall and how willing He always is to help me. Maybe by the end of Lent, the flaws that I picked out would be less of a problem if I could be more merciful to them as He is with me.
