Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97

It is lent again, that wonderful time of the year where many Christians remember their catholic faith with regards to the Church calendar that calls for fasting. Yes, yes, they skip the whole bit with the ash Wednesday, "dust you are and unto dust you shall remember" or "turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel" and jump right off to the part where they give up something they tell themselves they are addicted to.
Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against lent, or peoples' beliefs towards lent, in fact am happy people look forward to lent to give up their vices, it is just like every other day, knowing what you're doing makes it seem like you're doing more. You don't stand on a treadmill or fry your carrots or do yoga without breathing properly or write an exam without reading the material for which the exam is based. You just don't give up something because it is lent and go about your old ways, it is a season of reflection, getting back to the core of things now just announcing the fact that you're celibate for the next 40 days (although we're thankful that 30 less people will catch STIs in that time)
I don't believe that it is my job to teach anyone about lent, if you don't know, google it and make sense of it, I will say this though, I love lent and in as much as every Christian I know has jumped at the idea of giving up a vice in place of good old "dry fast" for the duration of the lenten season, it is a time of sober reflections, of attempting to be Christlike, temptations will come like the devil on that holy mountain, offering the world for what seems like a small price but you have to be steadfast in what you believe in.
You don't have to give up anything at lent, you can change something about yourself, do something special, my friend decided to give his transit money for the 40 days of lent to a charity and he walked like 2 hours a day to work and 2 hours back from work for 40 days. He spent his time reflecting on his life and how he could be a better Christian. Obviously when lent ended he went back on the train. Am not saying to castigate yourself over the lenten period, I just want to spread the gospel of knowing what it is that you are doing.
This lent, I will be a better person, as each lenten season passes, I find that I am able to give my vices to God and he has taken them away from me, this year will not be any different. And I urge everyone to pray fervently for graces to stay true to the calling of lent. God help us all!!!


And this is a special message to the person that wanted to know what the "ashlike" substance on peoples' foreheads were today...ash Wednesday..... Margaret Mary Caroline whatever you go by, I KNOW YOU ARE CATHOLIC, I KNOW WE TOOK COMMUNION TOGETHER, ATTENDED CATHECHISM TOGETHER, AND YOU ASK WHAT THE "ASHLIKE SUBSTANCE" IS? REALLY? REALLY?!!!!!
I can't even begin to decide within me if this silliness of yours should be classified silliness, pretence, attention seeking or pure ignorance! It doesn't even look like ash...what is ash? It is ash wedneday, you know this and you ask and you expect an answer that isn't in the line of GROW UP BRANDON!!!! I cringe and hope you've changed religions, hopefully your new religion won't believe in "ashy" substances on the forehead, because I cannot imagine the magnitude of curses that would be rained on your head if you ask what the "red looking" thing on people's foreheads are!!! HISS (You are still one of God's favorite children, although this is one of those moments I would really pull a Peter on you, 4 TIMES!!!!)