The Act of Penitence

Lent must be here. All the new McDonald's billboards are advertising fish sandwiches. I don't know who at McDonald's gets a hold of the liturgical calendar every year, but right around this time of year you can expect marvelous deals on fish. And for those who are reluctantly giving up meat on Friday, why not try a DOUBLE fish fillet sandwich. If you are going to be properly penitent, you might as well enjoy it for all its worth.

Penitence is a rather foreign concept in our culture, even though guilt is quite prevalent. We feel guilty about a lot of things: drinking, smoking, overeating, watching dirty movies, etc. But rarely do we do actual penance for the little evils we have done. We are conditioned to feel like our needs and desires are good, or at least normal. Though we feel guilty, we are told there is nothing to feel guilty about. A few 'my bads' will usually cover it. If we persist in guilt, it is called a complex. And if that complex continues, then we need some help to get over our issues. The last resort is to actually stop doing those things we feel guilty about. Unfortunately the guilt cycle only seems to numb us as to what guilt is and what we should feel guilty about, even as we persist in the behavior that made us feel that way in the first place! Then we wonder why we are so down all the time.

Perhaps Ash Wednesday is the one time a year that we Protestants come face to face with the solemnity of our guilt. As we confess we are reminded of our mortality, which is presented in all of its stark beauty with a cross of ash. While giving up chocolate or soda pop might seem like a trivial nod to the penitential spirit, I believe it is at least a good start. For once we stop glorifying our desires and set aside those things that tempt us, however small. In theory, we also devote our time to prayer and meditation. Even if we aren't successful, we can admit that we have failed and place the blame on our own shoulders for we are the ones who made the choice to give up something in the first place.

Yes, Lent is, if anything, a good start. It is a good habit. Above all we know that with our failures comes not condemnation but grace. And it is grace, not self-pity or hollow guilt, that should get us by.