…And to dust you shall return. So we are told as we receive our ashes each Ash Wednesday. We start the season of Lent with a visible sign of our sins and our sacrifice on our foreheads; ashes from the previous years’ palms in the sign of a cross. Now, we Catholics do have some fun with the crosses we get, identifying through a “Rohrschach-type test” what they are (for the record, this year I got the blob while Little Man got Thanos).

I no longer give anything up for Lent, I instead focus on myself and my religion. This year, I am saying a Rosary each day. Growing up, we would say the Rosary each Sunday as a family as we drove to Gramma’s. We would each take a decade, with someone taking two. There was something about sitting in the van as a family, reciting the prayers, and counting along on the rosary beads as it was my turn to lead the decade. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the routine, the drone of our voices, it was mystical and calming.

It has been a while since I’ve said the Rosary, so I decided to just google the prayers and order of everything. I was shocked to learn that for each decade, there are mysteries to go along with them. These mysteries change by the day and even liturgical season. I definitely did not know that! I went to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, and found their page on How to Pray the Rosary. I now have something new to learn more about, and a new way to add to my prayers. I am going to cheat a bit, and found a podcast that does the daily Rosary along with a meditation; check out Daily Rosary Meditations, you get your rosary and meditation in about 20 minutes each day.

I know, it seems like I am not making a sacrifice, like most people. I have given up things in the past: grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza, pop, chocolate, swearing, etc. I never truly got anything out that, other than when I gave up pop; 15 years later I hardly ever drink the stuff. What has helped me the most has been my focusing on self-improvement. Last year, I made sure to attend mass each Sunday. It was difficult, especially with Little Man being tiny, but I made it.

I have not attended mass in a while (Christmas was the last time), until I took Little Man with me to Ash Wednesday mass yesterday. I have not attended this church before, so I was not sure what to expect. It was a bit modern for my taste, but I soon fell into the routine, the comfort of the prayers and motions of mass with my fellow parishoners. There is another local church that I plan on visiting this Lenten season, so I have two choices for where to have my church home. I do miss my church back in Illinois; it was very traditional and conservative, and I loved it. I am not one for the more modern Catholic churches. I prefer the quiet, traditional psalms, ringing of the bells when the blood of Christ and the host are raised, dressing up for mass. I’m not one for clapping during the songs, or more modern takes on the classic hymns.

What are you doing for Lent this year? Are you making a sacrifice? Or are you improving your relationship with God and the church?