I'm a bad Catholic.
Okay, not a total disaster, because I haven't completely gone to decadence and depravity and decay, but I have failed to do anything Lenty. I had thoughts of extra Masses; no dice yet. Confession? Has not happened. Give up sugar? Yeah, it was an interesting idea.
What mainly bugs me is that I always aim to do some spiritual reading through Lent (Advent too), almost always scripture. One year I read the Gospels. Another it was the Epistles. One Advent I read Acts. Proverbs and Wisdom made for a contemplative season. Last year I read the Psalms. This year I skipped the Good Book and went to a book recommended by the pastor about invigorating the church.
I got about four chapters in and totally gave up.
What could be so hard about a contemporary book, as opposed to the Bible? It was one of those rah-rah type things that always seem to misunderstand the reasons cradle Catholics have drifted from the fold. The author confuses what people say in surveys with the facts on the ground; he seems to have zero insight into modern culture and its poisoning of the wells of faith. I have more to say about that topic, but another time, as I am too busy wallowing in my own sin.
So it wasn't doing it for me. So why not pick up another book? This would be a great time to reread some C. S. Lewis or G. K. Chesterton, or try to get through Augustine or John Henry Newman or The Cloud of Unknowing again. But no, I have flailed, and I have failed.
If only I had vowed to spend Lent killing every monster in Letter Quest. Then I'd have been a tremendous success.
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