The Gift of Purple

Pink has always been my favorite color....just look at the colors here on my blog!

But this time of year, purple becomes my favorite color because it is the color of the Lenten season and all that it has to offer. Lent is a wonderful gift from the Church and each year I learn to unwrap this gift more and more - one ribbon, and one layer of wrapping paper at a time.

Lent gives us an incredible opportunity and challenge to look deep within our souls and to seek a greater relationship with Jesus, and also to examine our relationship with Him and to examine everything about our lives. It challenges us so that when Lent is over and we come out on the other side on Easter Sunday, we will be new, different, and somehow transformed. That is an awesome gift!

I think the church is getting better at helping us do this every year. Either that, or I'm just listening more ! LOL ! In my little corner of the world, we have several Catholic churches fairly close to each other. As a result, I can attend various Lenten activities and it is just so spiritually envigorating! And Jesus knows that I need all the help I can get!

Just within the last week or so I went to Mass (as usual), Vespers, a Mission Talk with adoration and Reconciliation, and a Lenten supper with a talk. I also attended the Rite of Sending and Rite of Election for the RCIA process with/for my parish. I will also soon attend another mission and a play. Plus, EWTN has wonderful programing on TV during this special time of year (yes, a plug for EWTN).

THIS IS EXCITING STUFF FOR ME !

Being Catholic in Lent is like winning the spiritual lotto. No ticket required - you just have to say "yes" and open your soul to the experience.

I will always love pink. It is a part of who I am. It is a gentle and cheery color. It is the color of flowers, cotton candy, sunrises and sunsets.

I work with kids. Recently one little 7 year old girl, who also loves pink, said to me, as we were discussing "all things pink": "I don't let people mess with my pink stuff!" I love pink, but during Lent I want to say to the world "Don't mess with my purple stuff!" Let me enjoy every little thing about Lent and may I come out on the other side feeling "in the pink" and ready to greet the world with a stronger faith, a better character, and at least a tiny tiny bit more holy than I was when I began on Ash Wednesday.

...now if you will excuse me, I have to to go and take another ribbon off of my purple Lenten gift. Have a blessed night !