“I’m sorting through my things to give away half of what I own.” My eyes widened when she proclaimed this. Of course, most of us have some shirts we never wear or some belts that no longer fit. But this was an elderly Roman Catholic Sister speaking. I wondered, “How can a woman who has already renounced wealth and materialism find the power to give up even more.” For her, though, it was a spiritual goal during Lent. During these 40 days, she was seeking to deepen her connection to God and the service of God’s holy purpose among us.

I have learned over my years of retreat time with the Benedictine Sisters in Atchison, KS, that they may look frail and demure, but they are actually feisty activists! Ranging in age from 50-100, these nuns have various careers, including journalism, accounting, academics, and chaplaincy. One night over spaghetti and meatballs, the three nuns at my table began discussing some current events and public policies in Kansas. I asked if they had heard that the Pope was calling on all of us to give up speaking poorly about another person during Lent. One nun assured me she would not be able to do that! Another nun said she thought the Pope’s idea was great because too often we treat Lent superficially and only give up something trivial rather than something that could transform the human spirit.

Their sincere and intentional embrace of Lent inspired me and widened my view of this period typically associated with fasting and repentance. I went back and re-read what Pope Leo advised for all of us, whether Catholic or Protestant:

“I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence; that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgment, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”

What if Lent was a way for us to allow God to remake us into God’s own community? It might be worth giving up half!