My answer is this senator, nothing.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist that since one of the cable channels was running the first two Godfather movies back to back a week or so ago. While I was channel surfing as I often do, I landed in the middle of that scene. It’s been running through my head as I considered this blog post.

Lent is the time of year that Catholics prepare for Good Friday and Easter. It’s not what you find in you belly button when you’ve been wearing a new white t-shirt all day. It’s also not what I did when I let you borrow my lawn mower. I want my mower back BTW. It’s partially based on Our Lord spending forty days in the desert fasting and praying. It’s also a time for

Jesus’ temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him. This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning.” By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert. CCC #540

There’s also a tradition of “giving something up” for Lent. Some folks give up sweets, others television and yet others beer or coffee. No matter what it is, it’s usually something that people enjoy. They give it up to take a share in the redemptive suffering of Christ, by voluntarily missing out on something they enjoy.

Well, this year I’ve decided to do something a little different. Instead of a “to-don’t” list, I’ve come up with somewhat of a “to-do” list. I’ve picked out ten books that I will work hard to get read during these forty days.

Here’s the list of books I’ve put together for Lent. They’re books I already have in my stack of “to read”, and not necessarily titles that are “Lent related”. There’s no particular order here either.

Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots By Scott Hahn

Prayer Primer : Igniting a Fire Within By Fr. Thomas Dubay

The Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine By Pope Benedict XVI

God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life By Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)

Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols By Mike Aquilina and Lea Marie Ravotti

The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine (Penguin Classics) By Eusebius

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love By Carl Anderson and Eduardo Chavez

Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church By H. W. Crocker III

The Confessions of Saint Augustine (Image Book) By by St Augustine

City of God By St Augustine

I know this is a bold plan, but I don’t mind being bold for my faith. The last three titles make this especially so. There are forty days in Lent (not including Sundays), so I basically have four days for each book. Some of these will go faster than that. We’re four days in and I’ve already made a huge dent in Signs of Life. I plan to finish it tomorrow and get a long way with Church Fathers, so I am off to a good start. As I finish these, I’ll try to do a writeup on each one here on WT while the book is still fresh on my mind.

So, am I a loser for not picking out a few things to give up for Lent? Well, when you consider that I don’t have exactly the best in reading comprehension skills and some of these books are pretty deep, I do have a tough row to hoe. I won’t be able to keep up with my normal leisurely activities. Less television, no video games and a shortage of time for online actives all constitute a sacrifice to me. Better yet, its all going to better myself in a number of ways as well. Plus I won’t have those lines from all those movies floating through my head, since I won’t be doing any channel surfing.

I am hoping that by the time I get to the real meaty books at the end, I will have gotten into a groove that will push me to the end of the list. With that hopefulness in mind (we should always be full of hope), I also have a few C. S. Lewis books that I’d like to read if I finish early. Like I said, I’m being bold.

Well, I guess I should finish this writing stuff and get to reading!

Original content Copyright 2007 Marc Smith
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So what is my resolution? Well, I never keep these things. I think it’s because I never really set a true goal. It’s always one of these “I’ll do this everyday” or “I’ll quit doing this”, etc…

Well, this year I am setting a goal. I also want to fix something that I feel is very wrong in my life. My health is going down the tubes. I know that and my doctor has told me that. I am so out of shape and overweight that I will start have very serious health issue if I don’t do something about it. So here goes, I resolve to be able to meet the standards of the Armed Forces Physical Fitness test by my 36th birthday (Aug 26th). No, I am not planning to go back to the Army. I am just using this as a realizable goal. According to this website, I will have to do the following:

• 56 push ups
• 59 sit ups
• run 2 miles in 15m 30s

I can do this, I know I can. But it’s going to take a lot of changes in my lifestyle and hard work. To be honest though, I am nothing but giddy about this. When i was at my medic training I never passed the PT test there. If I can pass it now, almost 20 years later, I’ll see that as a personal victory. Please keep me in your prayers as I take this journey up. I continue to post on my progress.

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