Reflection on Lent 2024 (Part Two)

 


(If you missed part one, you can read it HERE.)


Once the Monday after Easter arrived, I vowed to be more aware of my time spent on Facebook & gaming on my phone. I even set timers so the apps would shut off when I reached the day’s limit. At first I did well. I was intentionally careful about mindless scrolling through Facebook, especially checking out comment sections to “watch the drama” unfolding. Boy, are there some doozies out there! 


As the days went by, though, I would find myself in the middle of reading something on Facebook or a level in a game & it would time out. A notice would pop up, asking if I wanted to add minutes to my timer. Sure, let's add 10 more minutes. The next day, when the timer question popped up, I'd forgotten that I had extended the time, so, I’d add a few more minutes when it timed out. 


Have you ever watched a snowball rolling down a hill, fattening itself with the snow it picks up? Yep, that was me, only packing on extra minutes for Facebook or gaming instead of snow!


Lent is a time to deepen our relationships with Christ through prayer, fasting, & almsgiving. We give up those things which can distract us from Him & replace them with that which can draw us closer. The idea is to build habits of self-sacrifice which can be carried on after Lent is over. While I did well during Lent, I failed miserably after it was over. I slipped right back into those mindless moments of scrolling through Facebook or playing games. 


I had subtle ways of justifying the extra time! The game playing was because I wanted to earn points that could be turned into gift cards through other apps. The more I played, the more points I earned. Once I earned the points needed, I planned to delete the game. Good idea, right? Wrong! I either kept playing or deleted the app from my phone, only to find another game to replace it. A vicious cycle! (As of this writing, there are no games on my phone!)


Neither endless scrolling Facebook nor playing mindless games are good for my soul, nor will they get me to Heaven! I know that 100%. Unfortunately knowing something & following through are two completely different actions. This is a struggle I’ve had for many years & in other aspects of my life as well. I KNOW I should eat better, exercise more, not judge others, not gossip, nor get angry, (insert any other vice here), but I’m not always disciplined enough to follow through. 


That’s where prayer & the power of the sacraments come in. I am human, a work in progress. As this past Lent taught me, I need Jesus more than ever. Nothing I do can ever make up for or pay back the great sacrifice He made for me. Each vice I succumb to pulls me further from Him. He will never turn away from me…I am the one who moves. During Lent, I took many steps toward Him, the most I’ve ever taken. However, these past weeks have set me back & I need to return to Him. With confidence, through prayer & the sacraments, I will!


-Maria

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