Lent Begins with Ice, not Fire

First of all, for those who came here expecting a writing post: the scenes, they are beginning to get written. I had to work through some issues with the characters—I knew more or less what had to happen, but I had to cast it so that it made sense in terms of the characters and what they are going through. I’ve now figured out enough to be going on with, and I am.

Second, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. That is, you’re reading this on Ash Wednesday. But as I write this, it isn’t Ash Wednesday; it’s Saturday, and I’m writing posts ahead because I’m going on a business trip this week.

To Maryland.

In Maryland, according to Accuweather.com, it’s going to be below freezing most of the week: snowy on Monday (so perhaps my flight might be delayed, what joy) and perhaps blessedly clear the rest of the time, but cold. Well, cold for me. I know most of my readers have been dealing with the nastiest winter in ages for far too long, with temperatures below zero on a regular basis, and if you want to indulge in a bit of schadenfreude on my behalf, I won’t complain. But it doesn’t get below freezing at my house but once in a blue moon, and the only real cold weather clothes you can buy around here are for skiing.

I shall manage, of course. But for the first few days of Lent I know what I’m going to be giving up: all feeling in my fingers as I dash from the car to the hotel and back again. (They make gloves for that, you know. Well, yes, I do know, and I’ll be bringing some.)

I remember a character in a book I read decades ago saying that of course penance is good for the soul; but there’s enough time to do penance when there is no other choice. This is not quite true, and I’m sure I should do more penance than I do. But there’s an important truth here: any inconvenience, any unpleasantness, any suffering can be offered up to God and used as chance-come penance.

When I remember I make the Morning Offering first thing in the morning, using these words:

Lord Jesus, I offer up to you all of the prayers, work, and suffering of this day for the intentions of your Sacred Heart.

And if there’s suffering to be done, I’ll say these words more often that that. I’ve a feeling I’ll be saying them regularly this week. Y’all can pray for me, once you stop your well-earned snickering.

Stop the Presses: Whole Lot of Penance Going On

I wrote this on Saturday, as I said; and Monday I went to the airport. And in the security line, as I was preparing to take off my belt and shoes and so on, I turned funny and my back spasmed in a very nasty way. I somehow got through security, and then I called my boss, who (God bless him) immediately said, “I don’t think you should get on a plane today.” In this we agreed. So my bag went to Baltimore, and I went home and needed to update this blog post.

So here’s the interesting thing. Three of us were supposed to go to Maryland on Monday. I got a call from my boss on Sunday; he’d been driving home from a weekend trip, pulling his trailer, when a state trooper stopped him: one wheel of the trailing was smoking and wobbling. So he got off the freeway safely, but he and his wife spent Sunday night in their trailer, locked into the yard of an RV service center, waiting for the mechanics to come in on Monday. Then, on Monday I hurt my back. That left my co-worker, the last of the original three, flying to Maryland by himself, landing in the snow, and having to carry things himself until my boss shows up on Thursday. So there’s a whole lot of penance going around this week.

(I’m going to be fine; it seems to be a muscular thing, rather than a damaged disk or something of the sort. Time for some PT to strengthen my back, and serious dieting. But I won’t be flying anywhere this week.)