Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Fasting is an important part of Lent. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, our personal disciplines united with personal sacrifices like abstaining from meat on Fridays, lessening or even giving up screen time on the computer, television, and phones. Fasting is a form of penance, which helps us turn away from sin and toward Christ. Lent is not just about giving something up. These 40 days can be about doing something positive. "I'm going to give more time, talent, and treasure to those who are in need. I'm going to exercise more. I'm going to pray more. I'm going to be kinder to my family, friends, and coworkers. I am going to be quicker to forgive and slower to get angry."

The Lenten discipline is more than self-control. Lent includes fostering a desire to look at aspects of yourself that are less than Christ-like, and asking Our Lord to help us remove those parts of us that need to die. The suffering and death of Christ are at the forefront of our minds during Lent, and we join in these mysteries by suffering, dying with Christ, and being resurrected in a purified form... seeking a new life in and with Christ.

I have had "bad" or "unsuccessful" Lenten observances in the past. I think I failed most often because I was too ambitious or unrealistic in my efforts to change. Now, I just try to do better than last year. Sometimes I need adjust my goals to be more realistic. I learned to not cram all of my fasting, almsgiving, and prayer into one Lent. That's a recipe for failure.We spend our entire lives growing closer to God and that means we are all a work in progress.

I have found that even when I have set realistic Lenten goals, I still had trouble keeping them. For example, when I fast, I know that I am just one meal away from hunger, not starving to death but in my mind I can be so dramatic. In a strange, yet powerful way, Lent can reveal our weaknesses. Finding out our weaknesses is not pleasant but recognizing how helpless we are makes us seek God's help with renewed urgency and sincerity.

When you fall, not if you fall, it can be very tempting to become angry, frustrated and have the desire to give up. I have asked myself, "Why am I am so weak?" In those moments of failure, I believe that Our Lord is inviting us to grow in patience and trust in His Mercy and love for us - especially in those moments of weakness.

Understanding that we all suffer moments of weakness and suffering enables us to be renewed in our compassion for those who also suffer moments of weakness and suffering. The third part of the Lenten formula is almsgiving. It's about more than throwing a few extra dollars in the collection plate; it's about stretching beyond our comfort zones and helping others in need experience God's unconditional love.

As we give of ourselves, particularly when we are suffering, it can bring us closer to loving like Christ, who suffered and poured himself out unconditionally on the cross for all of us. Lent is a journey through the desert to the foot of the cross on Good Friday. May our Lenten sacrifices enable us to grow in our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving so that we may love Christ more intimately and love like Christ more generously.

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline

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