What are you giving up for Lent?

It’s a topical question, perhaps!

Many years ago, when visiting a school in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday, I spoke with the children about making a sacrifice during Lent. I asked them what they were doing and the answers were understandably predictable. “I’m giving up sweets”, said one. “Fizzy Drinks”, said another, and a few variations followed.

Praised

I praised them for their intention to make these sacrifices but said I also thought Lent could be about “Taking things up” as well as “Giving things up”. They looked puzzled so I tried to elaborate a little. I told them that as well as maybe giving up sweets, they might take up some act of kindness, for example, visiting an elderly neighbour and offering to help them.

Maybe doing something the first time their father or mother asked, rather than the twenty-first time. I suggested making a little time to take up some form of prayer during Lent. When I finished one lad, whose questions I always enjoyed, had a puzzled look on his face and I knew there was a question. “What do you make of that?” I asked him. “Well Father”, he replied, “I was just thinking to myself, couldn’t I give up sweets for the first few weeks and take them up for the last few weeks?” Not sure he got the concept, but he made me laugh. The echo and remembrance of that laugh remain with me more than thirty years later.

So, what about Lent 2026? Giving up and taking up?

Giving up! Maybe giving up giving up might be a start. We can be quite defeatist at times and be inclined to throw in the towel. Some parish initiatives that fall flat and we wonder “What’s the point?” and maybe decided to call it a day when that might not be the best thing to do. A bit of tweaking maybe, a fresh coat of paint on the walls of our battered egos might just be what is needed.  So give up giving up! There is always, always hope and this might just be the very best time to give it another go.

Negativity

Give up negativity. There are few things, in my opinion, that are as soul-destroying as negativity in any of its forms. Especially when it blinds us to the good in others, the positives in our church, the successes on our own personal journey in life.

Give up grumbling.  How readily we can complain about people, places, moments … life.  And, to what end? Yes, there are times when we might not be happy with something, and we have every right to express that and hopefully have it addressed and rectified. But constant grumbling is another mindset. So maybe during Lent, when a good grumble is an option, try to turn it around … as the old saying goes, “Turn that frown, upside down” and you’re left with a smile.

Take up a few acts of kindness, an extra Mass here and there, a bit of community involvement, some time for prayer, time to visit one another, time with family and friends, some charitable work or donation and take up … I suppose, “The Cross” that weighs too heavily on too many. Trócaire’s box has a place in the taking up too.

Take up positivity and truly seek to make a lasting difference in the lives of others over these coming weeks. Chances are, we will be amazed at the difference it makes in ourselves too.

And, needless to say, “give up sweets”!!

*

All relative!

An old story! A family, going home from Mass and the wife said the church was really cold.  The husband said the priest preached for far too long and made much too little sense. The wife commented on how out of tune the choir was and the husband said he could not hear the reader.  The child in the back, put his head in between them and said: “I thought it wasn’t a bad show for 50c”!!