A Sunday Thought About Taking a Break from Lent to Start the Week Off Right
I don't remember when I found out that Sundays don't count as part of Lent, but it's apparently true. So you can take a break today from the strict rigor of your lenten discipline, right?
Of course, these days "rigor" hardly applies to most of what passes as lenten discipline. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the idea of giving something or things up for Lent belittled by priests in the last few weeks. They're likely trying to point out that giving up chocolate or ice cream doesn't capture the spirit of Lent, if that's all you think Lent is about. Okay, we get the point. But does that mean it makes no sense, or is somehow "wrong," to give up something you like?
The point of "giving up" has to do with mortification, defined as "subduing one's bodily desire." And while mortification remains a beneficial practice throughout the year, it's always had a special place during Lent in Catholic tradition. In fact, one could argue that it's needed more than ever in an age of self-indulgence and narcissism, don't you think? So why put it down? Why make fun of it? Why not, indeed, encourage it?
Well, this is all beyond my pay grade, being far from saintly with hardly a scintilla of theological knowledge. So back to Sunday being a break from - we can only hope - the rigor of your lenten discipline. If you're on board with giving something up during Lent, you get to relax a bit today. For example, if you're observing the traditional partial fast where your two meals don't add up to your main meal, you get to eat three squares now that it's Sunday.
But whatever your particular situation, maybe the best thing to understand here is simply that Sunday - every Sunday - is special, in fact the Lord's Day, a day we "keep holy," as the commandment says, a day where we don't perform servile labor, a day when we're given the opportunity to rest, to refresh the mind and body after a week's worth of labors. And now that it's Lent, if you've added in a some lenten discipline on top of your usual labors, you get to ease up today.
All of which leads us to this: a few minutes of the Beautiful on this second Sunday of Lent 2015. I don't know about you, but add this to three squares and my Sunday break is golden. The slice of the Beautiful we've got for you today comes from the incomparable Cecilia Bartoli singing Mozart's perfectly lovely "Voi che sapete" from The Marriage of Figaro.
What's that you say, you don't like opera? Okay, but just give this one a shot. It's just Cecilia's voice and a piano, with the lyrics on screen. Pure melody and words delivered to your ears on a silver platter. You couldn't ask for more. That's why I picked this version.
Now remember, she's singing in the character of Cherubino, who's a young man in the opera. (Yes, a woman sings the part of a man here, but there's nothing strange or unseemly about it. Composers did this at times. There's no "gay agenda" here, so relax.) Cherubino sings this lovely aria to an older woman about the first stirrings of the feeling of love in his heart. Take a break and listen.
Of course, these days "rigor" hardly applies to most of what passes as lenten discipline. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the idea of giving something or things up for Lent belittled by priests in the last few weeks. They're likely trying to point out that giving up chocolate or ice cream doesn't capture the spirit of Lent, if that's all you think Lent is about. Okay, we get the point. But does that mean it makes no sense, or is somehow "wrong," to give up something you like?
The point of "giving up" has to do with mortification, defined as "subduing one's bodily desire." And while mortification remains a beneficial practice throughout the year, it's always had a special place during Lent in Catholic tradition. In fact, one could argue that it's needed more than ever in an age of self-indulgence and narcissism, don't you think? So why put it down? Why make fun of it? Why not, indeed, encourage it?
Well, this is all beyond my pay grade, being far from saintly with hardly a scintilla of theological knowledge. So back to Sunday being a break from - we can only hope - the rigor of your lenten discipline. If you're on board with giving something up during Lent, you get to relax a bit today. For example, if you're observing the traditional partial fast where your two meals don't add up to your main meal, you get to eat three squares now that it's Sunday.
But whatever your particular situation, maybe the best thing to understand here is simply that Sunday - every Sunday - is special, in fact the Lord's Day, a day we "keep holy," as the commandment says, a day where we don't perform servile labor, a day when we're given the opportunity to rest, to refresh the mind and body after a week's worth of labors. And now that it's Lent, if you've added in a some lenten discipline on top of your usual labors, you get to ease up today.
All of which leads us to this: a few minutes of the Beautiful on this second Sunday of Lent 2015. I don't know about you, but add this to three squares and my Sunday break is golden. The slice of the Beautiful we've got for you today comes from the incomparable Cecilia Bartoli singing Mozart's perfectly lovely "Voi che sapete" from The Marriage of Figaro.
What's that you say, you don't like opera? Okay, but just give this one a shot. It's just Cecilia's voice and a piano, with the lyrics on screen. Pure melody and words delivered to your ears on a silver platter. You couldn't ask for more. That's why I picked this version.
Now remember, she's singing in the character of Cherubino, who's a young man in the opera. (Yes, a woman sings the part of a man here, but there's nothing strange or unseemly about it. Composers did this at times. There's no "gay agenda" here, so relax.) Cherubino sings this lovely aria to an older woman about the first stirrings of the feeling of love in his heart. Take a break and listen.
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