At the beginning of Lent, I began a project of downsizing. Instead of donating money to my church or other organizations in honor of Lent or simply giving up something like chocolate or soda or ice cream, I wanted to do something more tangible. A sacrifice that would make the most difference to me and also to Jesus. So I began to downsize. Each day during Lent, I cleaned a closet, chest of drawers, shelf, trunk, etc. and put an item into a bag or box with the goal that at the end of Lent, all the items would be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. At first, I was not sure there would be enough for the 40 days of Lent as I had already been cleaning and downsizing since my retirement 2 years ago. Imagine my surprise when my Lenten donation included 4 bags and 2 boxes full of items. My husband even got into the project and added items of his own. We also included a grocery box filled with non-perishable food for the St. Vincent de Paul pantry.
Cleaning out the items I did not need anymore and donating them to someone who does have a need for them may not seem like a sacrifice that compares to the one Jesus made for us. To be honest, I don't believe that Jesus looks at it like that...keeping a running tally on who is sacrificing enough. I believe that He wants us to acknowledge that part of our life that could use some housecleaning to make room for Him to fill our spirits completely. To rid ourselves of those material needs that only push Him away from working in our lives. A Lenten sacrifice is an individual decision. Each of us knows what we need to do to make ready for His Resurrection. Each of us needs to ask ourselves, "How did I prepare myself for Jesus this Lenten season?"
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