Day 22: Three Week Update

It has been three weeks since Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lenten Ramadan.  Where has the time gone?  Some miscellaneous thoughts and observations today:

• Even though the camera on my phone can in no way even begin to do it justice, it was a beautiful sunrise on the way to work and the light on the low clouds was lovely.

• Muslims in America:  In the wake of the Peter King hearings three weeks ago there is an increasing amount of attention being paid to Muslims in America in the media.  The Justice Department reports that violence against Muslims (or those perceived to be Muslims) is on the rise in the U.S.  CNN also aired a special just this week which focuses on the resistance toward an attempt to build an Islamic Center in Murfreesboro, TN. (I haven't had a chance to watch the full video yet . . . it is 42 minutes long, but maybe I can catch it tonight.)  My continued prayer throughout my Lenten Ramadan is that people of all faiths, especially here in the U.S., can develop a genuine mutual respect for one another and not see their differences as a cause for anger or suspicion but as an opportunity to understand.  It saddens and concerns me that Christians, who are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves, are often leading the charge against religious freedom in America.

• Eucharist:  Yesterday posed a situation that should be amended into the "Ground Rules."  We had Mass at school at 11:05am thus affording me the opportunity to receive Communion.  Under no circumstances would I consider this a breaking of the fast since the Eucharist is the "source and summit of the Christian life" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1324).  It was actually a more meaningful reception than usual for me.  I was very aware that this was the one and only source of nourishment I would receive for the next eight hours and that spoke to me as being very powerful.  While I am in no way advocating a return to a pre-Vatican II style fast prior to receiving Communion unless that is one's personal choice (it had been required to fast from midnight until reception), in this instance the fast helped me to more greatly appreciate the grace that the Eucharist is for me.

• Leftovers:  I am learning that I am beginning to grow tired of eating what are, for all intents and purposes, "leftovers."  Since the family is generally eating around 5:30 or 6:00 and I am not eating for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours after that, most every dinner I eat is re-heated.  While the food is delicious and is certainly more than most people in this world may enjoy in an entire week, I am looking forward to dinners that are eaten hot and fresh and not nuked in the microwave.  I guess this is my way of saying that the enchiladas were a little "crusty" by the time I got to them last night.

• Too much information?  Perhaps this falls in the "TMI" department, but one thing I am noticing is that drinking large quantities of water after 8:00pm has a (how should I say this?) lingering after effect.  While I have been sleeping soundly lately (I attribute this, at least in part, to being more relaxed and focused through regular prayer), I do find myself waking up more often during the night to visit the loo.  My kidneys seem to be functioning quite properly.

• It's a grind:  Since this week finds Lent nearly at the half-way point (3 weeks down, 3 1/2 more to go!) my fasting, at times, is beginning to feel very tedious.  I don't imagine this is all that unusual.  I can compare it to the school year, I suppose.  When the year is just beginning there is a certain degree of excitement and anticipation surrounding the "newness" of it all.  Near the end of the year a renewed energy level is experienced once again as the promise of summer looms on the horizon. The real problem lies somewhere in the middle.  It is sometimes difficult to get excited in January and February when the world is dark and cold and a certain sense of monotony sets in.  That's kind of where I am, and I imagine many are, in their Lenten observances.  I am going to persevere in this and I look forward to the last three weeks as I crest the hill and gain momentum towards the celebration of the Resurrection at Easter.

• Weight, weight don't tell me:  The weekly weight update . . . I have now lost close to seven pounds in three weeks.  I seem to be losing about two pounds per week, which would mean I may drop as many as fourteen pounds in total by Easter.  Even though this weight loss was not the intent of the fast, it is a welcome side effect.  My pants are certainly fitting much better!

• Thanks again:  Thanks for those of you who stop by every so often and for those who have talked to me about Lenten Ramadan either via email or by asking questions when you see me.  If you like what you read here, tell a friend about it or "Like" it or post a link on Facebook.  I have truly been blessed to share this journey with you as it has been a remarkable experience for me thus far. Through our Lenten (and Ramadan) practices I believe we can all recommit ourselves to be peacemakers in this world and be the children God created us to be, whatever our religious tradition.