Today is Shrove Tuesday. You may know it better as Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday". It marks the last day in the season after Epiphany and the last day before the season of Lent. For people who are not Christian, or who do not observe the liturgical year, it's excuse to party on a Tuesday, or party all week long depending on where you live.
If you are liturgical and you do observe Lent in an actual time of reflection and repentance kind of way, not just in the I-can't-eat-this-today kind of way, Shrove Tuesday is a day to prepare both spiritually and potentially physically for Lent. The 'shrove' part of the name comes from the fact that people used to do a pre-Lent confession as part of their preparations.
For me this involved getting rid of or hiding a lot of the sweets in my house, and putting all the alcohol away. Our assistant Rector has inviting the parish to join in a kind of fast this Lent, focusing on our relationship to food and how it can help or hurt our relationship to others and to God. The idea is to eat simply, rather than focusing on giving up specific things for specific days or trying to not eat at all.
My relationship to food is complicated. It's a hobby, a necessity, an indulgence, a comfort, a source of pride and a means of love. I'm going to be trying to use this Lent to try and weed out some of my more selfish motives around food, and try to refocus on the ways God provides for me, and on using my skills to benefit others, not just myself.
If you are planning on observing some sort of fast this Lent, whether of food, entertainment or something else, I hope it helps you draw closer to our Lord and Savior. If not, enjoy all the extra ice cream.
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