I attended a Catholic Ash Wednesday Mass last week. I’m not Catholic and I’ve never celebrated Lent before, so this was a new experience for me. The ways of the traditional Catholic church are very regimented. Every time someone passes the alter, they turn toward it and make the sign of the cross. One man, who was in charge of seating everyone, was so quick with it that he sped by, stopped for a millisecond, did the sign and went on his way. Some even made the sign before entering their pew. Others did nothing.

If you grew up in church, I’m sure there are many things you have memorized from the age of 3. In this case, people had memorized their phrases in the liturgical Missal. “And also with you”, “the Word of the Lord”, and “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ” echoed through the room. When you have those types of things memorized, it makes me wonder if anyone is listening to the words in between; the words the priest or bishop is speaking. Are people just waiting for their cue to repeat a phrase or are they taking it to heart? Do they truly know and understand the power of God’s Word? Do they take the meaning of Lent for all it’s worth?

I can ask the same thing of a non-Catholic. If you are a believer, do you spend time daily in the Word or do you rely on your pastor to read it to you once a week? What is the point of that? We are to make our faith our own, not rely on someone else to feed it to us. I’ve been to churches where you don’t even need to bring your Bible because they show the verses on a screen. That bothers me a bit because it is allowing the congregation to not crack their Bible, if they even own one.

This year, I am taking part in Lent. Not because I was told to or because it is part of a regimen, but because I feel I want to give something up to spend more time with the Lord. I am giving up surfing the internet at work during my freetime. It may seem insignificant to some, but I think it will give me more time to read my Bible while at work. I’ve briefly spoken to other Catholics I know about Lent. Some regularly go to Mass while others do not. One person even said he hadn’t thought of something to give up, but wanted to because “I want to be a good Catholic”. Is that what it’s about, being a good Catholic? Is it not about sacrificing for the Lord like Christ sacrificed His life for us? Has it become a rote action? If so, I say “don’t bother doing it.” You won’t go to Hell for not taking part in Lent. No matter what your mother has told you, you won’t.

I think we all, as believers, need to step back and examine our lives and actions. If we are doing something because it has become routine and for no other reason, think about whether or not you should continue in it. If it is not helping you grow and mature, what is the reason behind it?

As we approach Easter and remember that Jesus took our sins upon Himself, bore the penalty of that sin, died, and rose again, remember that there is a reason for our faith. Don’t allow the true meaning to be diminished because of regimen. Look at His Word. Understand the meaning. Take it to heart. Praise the Lord.