When we come up with our Lenten sacrifices, they can easily end up a little bit self-serving at the same time.
We give up "eating out." But, well, we wanted to save some money (or calories) anyway. We give up smoking, but we know we shouldn't be smoking so much anyway. We give up Facebook, but we know we spend too much time on Facebook already. Etc.
These aren't bad Lenten sacrifices. But there is an easy way to make such a sacrifice even better.
Take the money you would have spent on eating out or smoking or whatever it is and…give it away instead. Take the time you would have spent doing those things and instead spend that time in prayer. And rather than thinking about your own struggles the whole time, take a moment in solidarity to think about all those around the world who will never even have the option to "eat out" or to spend too much time on Facebook or to even experience something you may be giving up this Lent.
Try it. We aren't just sacrificing things this Lent for the sake of removing bad things. We're sacrificing things so that we can make more room in our lives for God. So yes, remove some things from your life that are less worthy of being there, but make sure you fill that space with something Good. Allow God to fill that space. Prepare to fully receive Him at Easter.
One easy way to do that is through the CRS Rice Bowl effort. Not only does it give you an easy (and worthy) place to put the money you give up, but for each week of Lent they are sharing a great Lenten recipe/meal you can make for each Friday. The coolest part is that the recipes come from different parts/cultures of the world where life is very different than it is here (like Burkina Faso, East Timor, Dominican Republic, Lesotho and Pakistan). And along with each recipe is a corresponding inspirational story that teaches you a little bit about the culture that recipe came from.
It's brilliant and I plan to do this with my family over the coming weeks. But no matter what you do, this Lent, try giving away some of what you give up. Allow God to fill the space you are making for him.
Photo by David Snyder for CRS
What are you giving up and giving away this Lent?
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My kids bring home the CRS rice bowl from school every year and we put it on our table. Any money we’ve saved as well as our spare change gets put in there. We don’t give the money to CRS, we donate the proceeds to a local food pantry, only we typically don’t donate food. They usually prefer toilet paper and cleaning supplies as those cannot be purchased with food stamps and the need for these products among our area’s poor is generally much greater.
I had a lot of people at school today (I’m a college student) asking me what I was going to give up for lent. They all discussed things like giving up chocolate or sweets, but I don’t eat those. So this year I did something else. I decided to give up laziness and go to the gym and work on improving my health. I’m a young widow with two children, and our income is VERY TIGHT. I’d love to give the money I’d be saving to charity as I usually do, but this year I will be spending MORE and not saving money, though improving myself.
I am surprised once again to find someone pushing CRS. It was only last year that they once again scandilized the Catholic Church with their not so Catholic activities. They were giving grants to organizations that promoted contraception and abortion overseas. You can look up the articles at Life Site news. The best part is their explanation, “it is too fund their other programs”. It is funny, we scream about the HHS mandate as an “accounting gimmick”, we scream about Planned Parenthood using federal money to increase abortions using Title X funds - supposedly for other things. But it is perfectly okay for CRS to use the SAME bullcrap excuse, why? Can someone explain to me why?!!! Is is because they use the word “catholic” in their name and are now above reproach?
I am surprised once again to find someone pushing CRS. It was only last year that they once again scandilized the Catholic Church with their not so Catholic activities. They were giving grants to organizations that promoted contraception and abortion overseas. You can look up the articles at Life Site news. The best part is their explanation, “it is too fund their other programs”. It is funny, we scream about the HHS mandate as an “accounting gimmick”, we scream about Planned Parenthood using federal money to increase abortions using Title X funds - supposedly for other things. But it is perfectly okay for CRS to use the SAME bull excuse, why? Can someone explain to me why?!!! Is is because they use the word “catholic” in their name and are now above reproach?
Um, I gave up alcohol. Might pose a problem to give that away…
Good idea. I gave up shopping for clothing so I’ll give extra to my favorite charities and our local maternity shelter instead of saving all of it (which would benefit me). Our church also is having a cross tree for us to pick a cross which will list items needed for the maternity shelter and other charities.
Any money I save will not go to CRS thats for sure. There are other Catholic organizations that do a lot of good such as “Food for the Poor” and Cross Catholic International , or how about a donation to your homeless shelter or local Catholic Charities. I’ve read too many conflicting reports about CRS to trust it. I think most Catholics can find an alternate to that if you’re fasting and saving on meals.
Either way, alms giving is a part of Lent. Don’t forget your friends and neighbors that may need assistance.
I would like someone to respond to “CRS really?‘s comment b/c I agree with her/him. I also think the author of this article should do some research and get back to the readers—whether he defends his statement or whatever, but I do think it is legit and should be addressed.
When I first read this column, I was surprised to see CRS recommended. As so often happens, I just didn’t have the energy to see if one of the US Catholic Bishops’ organizations was finally towing the line, so I didn’t bother. That’s why I said we use the Rice Bowl that comes home from school but we don’t give the money to CRS. However, when I came back here and read the responses, I thought, I really should check this out. When I looked at their website and saw CRS’ defensive, almost angry response to the less than Catholic manner in which their charity has been running, I realized giving our money locally is still a much better use of our hard sacrificed dollars.
Thank you Eileen, I never even thought to look at CRS’s response. But you are right, their behavior is very unCatholic and defensive, they really should be ashamed. How dare they compromise the millions of Catholics who lovingly give their hard-earned money to go for truly Christian things, instead of what they actually end up using it for.
Still no answer about CRS? We also collect money, but we will give to Just $1 for Africa, a local crisis pregnancy center and Cross Catholic Outreach.
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