"Did that hurt?"

I was back in Iowa a couple weeks ago and Roman and I were "taking turns" with my computer. I would look at this or that and then after three seconds he would want to play with the keyboard. One of the pages I went to was my blog. When I opened it, Roman asked "Did that hurt?" I didn't know what he meant but then he pointed to my old banner. I tried to explain that the pens I'd superimposed weren't really scratching my face, but he didn't really get it. Needless to say it was time for a change.

We're at that point in Lent where our Lenten sacrifices start to hurt. Slowly giving up caffeine entirely is starting to make me drag a little, which is making it harder to get up for Mass, which is making it harder to focus. etc. etc. etc. I'm sure you have you're own "the frog ran from the cat, who ran from the dog, who ran from the pig, who ran from the cow..."

The true test of Lent happens in these moments. Yes, there are moments where I fail and watch tv shows on my computer even though I said I wasn't going to. The question is, do I try again? Refusing to let the weight of the world pull me down into nothingness is why Lent is so beautiful. Each day I can choose to love Christ through giving him my failings and asking him to make them new.

The mystery of the cross is my nephew's question, "Did that hurt?" The answer of course is yes, but the beauty is that Christ thirsted so much for my love, that he chose the cross! That was his perfect act of love for my soul. I'm so used to my comfortable life that when these little offerings start to hurt and I'm face-to-face with my own weaknesses, I tend to say "tomorrow."

I pray every day for Christ to help me choose the cross with Him.

In the words of my friend, Graceanne, said with an Irish accent: "Joyous March to ya!"