What are you doing now that Lent is halfway over?

Last week I joined the Morning Air program to discuss: Lent is halfway over. What’s going on with you? You can listen to the audio of that conversation here, starting a little before minute 17.

One of the things I have been turning over in my mind is this concept of what is the “right” sacrifice for Lent, which we discussed on the show. For example, if you don’t drink coffee regularly, giving it up won’t make a noticeable difference in your life. For someone else who is addicted to several cups a day, the sacrifice would be tremendous.

I am reminded of this article I wrote about Lent in 2019, where I interviewed friends about what they were giving up. Afterwards, one of those people read it and decided to judge the others, specifically the girl who was giving up getting her nails done and having her apartment cleaned. The person criticizing was a 50+-male, judging a mid-twenties young woman. It was very surprising to me, as I understood perfectly: vanity is a big problem for a young woman, and having less than perfect nails would be a source of irritation for her, and something worthy of giving up. For him? Not so much.

And we talked about that tendency toward judgment on the show, too. Don’t judge yourself or others when it comes to these sacrifices. You have no idea what is inside someone heart, mind, and conscience. It’s not for you to know anyone’s but your own, anyway.

And as for knowing yourself and where and how best to sacrifice: talk to God in prayer. We forget we can simply “ask and receive.”

May the remainder of your Lent be fruitful!

Lent is halfway over; latest radio appearance

You can listen here to my latest interview on Morning Air, starting at 14:29, on that study showing the percentage of Americans identifying as Christian has leveled out, as opposed to dropped, for the first time in a long time. We discussed why that could be, and as always, I point to the life-changing dynamics of the pandemic, a time when people everywhere felt loneliness, isolation, fear, and hopelessness on a mass scale. I believe this may have influenced people to look for God and meaning in their lives. We also discussed how the survey showed Americans as a whole believe in God, which surprised me, but which is of course a sign of hope. Bottom line: lots of room for evangelization!

I will be back with John and the gang tomorrow morning at 8:20 am eastern to discuss something different: the halfway point of Lent! Can you believe it? I’ll be asking the question: how is your Lent going? See how you can listen on the radio, on the app, or online here.

March is the month of St. Joseph: pray his novena

Friends, March is known as the month of St. Joseph and his feast day is March 19. I highly encourage you to befriend dear St. Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer and Terror of Demons. And, you can do that praying his novena, starting today to end on March 19.

After Mary, St. Joseph is seen by the Church as the most powerful intercessor, which is understandable, given his proximity to Jesus during their lifetimes on earth. He is wonderful for family, work, and home matter.

St. Joseph, pray for us!