Originally the day was set aside
to use up all the fat and eggs in the house in preparation for fasting in Lent.
One traditional way to use up all the goodies is pancakes, of course. That’s
why many of us have pancake suppers on Shrove Tuesday.
The word ‘shrove’ is from the
old word ‘shrive’ meaning to prescribe (as in prescribe a cure or penance) or
to write. (I’m reminded of Moses’ prayer in Exodus 32:32: “But now, please
forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written”).
Like we clean out the pantry of butter and sugar and eggs, we clean our souls
by confessing and leaving the sins behind for Lent. Of course, the partying
that goes on is a way of getting all the ‘sins’ out of the way before Lent! If
you don’t do confession on Shrove Tuesday, you might want to consider a time of
confession and absolution sometime during Lent.
So, full of pancakes and shriven of our sins, we come to Lent when we are
supposed to ‘give up’ something. A friend recently sent me this story, “I was in San Francisco, and
our priest was Nedi Rivera-Moore, who is now the bishop of the northwest
states. She was giving a class during
Lent which was attended mainly by women.
She asked us to think of the one
thing we did that put us into overload. Then she said that's what we were to
give up for Lent.” (Thanks Johanna!)
Alternatively, emphasis has been
on ‘taking on’ a new spiritual discipline during Lent instead of just giving up
chocolate or smoking. Certainly there are lots of Lent devotionals around,
available online and in stores and from your church. An interesting list of
ideas for things to do for Lent can be found on the Busted Halo website
includes things like ‘make a commitment to read the Sunday readings before Mass’,
‘turn off your car radio during your commute’, ’fast from cruel comments’, etc.
Below is a short list of some
online resources that you might find helpful during Lent.
Daily devotions: http://www.d365.org
Forward Movement publications for Lent: http://www.forwardmovement.org/Products/CategoryCenter/FMEAS/Lent_Easter.aspx
Forward movement daily devotions: http://prayer.forwardmovement.org/forward_day_by_day.php?d=25&m=2&y=2014
Lent Madness: http://www.lentmadness.org/
Feel free to comment and add
your own ideas and resources you find useful to help us all along. As we
prepare for Lent, here is the concluding prayer of the Great Litany from the
Episcopal Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty God, who hast promised to hear the petitions of those who ask
in thy Son's Name: We beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ear to us who
have now made our prayers and supplications unto thee; and grant that those
things which we have asked faithfully according to thy will, may be obtained
effectually, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of thy
glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
During Lent we will consider what
Psalm 34 can teach us about preparing our hearts for Easter.
