Lenten Diary: Day 1 of my Sacrifice

Though I am totally 5 days late in participating in Lent, nonetheless I have figured out what I was sacrificing for my 40 days and 40 nights (well actually more like 36 days and 36 nights) and I have successfully completed my first day!

After Mass on Sunday (Yes, if you havent figured it out, I am Catholic) I sat in my car, responding to some text messages when a lightbulb went off. Like a inventor with a budding new idea, I was a Catholic looking to make my ultimate sacrifice. TECHNOLOGY!!

Life as we know it has become so self-less and impersonal. Conversations now consist of test messages, Facebook messages or IM messages, Twitter Updates and emails. That especially includes my life because I am one of those people who hates talking on the phone and is always in a meeting that I text 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Text messaging has become SO depended upon in my life that the buttons on my G1 have special finger indents in them.

There was nothing better for me to give up but my technology vices because my days are so encompassed by them. I text my boss, I text my co-workers, I text my grandma, I text my dad. If you have text messaging, then I am texting you. Simple as that.

At Mass we discussed the story of Jesus fasting from food and drink for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert in preparation of his public ministry. In the Book of Luke (Luke 4:1-13 to be exact) The Devil tried to trick him, bring him off task, telling Jesus "If you are the Son of God, turn this stone into Bread," but Jesus stayed focus and told the Devil "It was written: Man does not live on Bread alone," and continued to press on and conquer all the temptations the Devil set forth for his to succumb to.

Like Jesus was in the Desert, hungry and alone, I am hungry and alone (technologically), but I have the inner strength like him (Jesus) to make it through my Lenten promise. With this as my Lenten sacrifice I hope to learn that I am not as dependent on those things as I am today. The purpose of lent is to challenge self to self-denial, bringing you closer to Jesus and to God, praying for the strength, scrutinizing yourself and your life and re-evaluating your life from here on out.

Everyone of my friends and family members know I hate talking on the phone, but if they were on Facebook or Twitter (or had text messaging, I would talk to them everyday. This is something that I want to change about myself. I dont want to have to schedule phone calls to my family members on my calendar again. If I can routinely check facebook, tweet and text message, I can pick up my cell phone, call whomever I want to talk to and have a regular conversation.

Everyday (or every other day if I can remember) I will blog about my experiences throughout my Lenten journey...

Peace be with you always