Benedict XVI: Way of the Cross

When I ordered the Pope's book from Amazon, I wasn't sure that I would like his writing style.

The book is beautifully written. It was very hard for me to put it aside once I started reading. Now, I'm actually ready to read it again. Reading the book was my best introduction to the writings of Pope Benedict XVI. It's also one of the best ways to reflect on Jesus' suffering during the Lent season.

The Pope's words, combined with the artwork by Dutch Symbolist painter Jan Toorop, makes the book an excellent campanion for people who want to deeply meditate and pray during Lent.



Benedict XVI:
Way of the Cross

Pretzels And Lent

I like soft, cinnamon-sugar pretzels. But, I never knew pretzels' history is connected to Lent. Stan Dyer writes:

Made from just flour and water, (salt is OK), they were the perfect Lenten food. Even the easily recognizable and tradition “twist” has its roots in religion. The folded twist is meant to resemble arms crossed in prayer. At one time, people crossed their arms across their chests in pretzel fashion when praying instead of simply putting their two hands together. In fact, in Latin, the word for these braids of bread was “bracellae”, or “little arms”. The word was later corrupted in German to “bretzel”, and, once the voicing was lost from the bilabial stop, it became “pretzel”. Many people following Catholic Law would only eat one meal a day during Lent, but would ease the in between time by snacking on pretzels.

So, I Googled the words "pretzel" and "lent" after reading Dyer's article. I was a bit surprised to learn of the connection between Lent and pretzels.

Fr. William Saunders wrote in the Catholic Education Resource Center:

According to pretzel maker Snyder’s of Hanover, a young monk in the early 600s in Italy was preparing a special Lenten bread of water, flour and salt. To remind his brother monks that Lent was a time of prayer, he rolled the bread dough in strips and then shaped each strip in the form of crossed arms, mimicking the then popular prayer position of folding one’s arms over each other on the chest. The bread was then baked as a soft bread, just like the big soft pretzels one can find today. (To be fair, some traditions date the story to even the 300s.)

Because these breads were shaped into the form of crossed arms, they were called bracellae, the Latin word for "little arms." From this word, the Germans derived the word bretzel which has since mutated to the familiar word pretzel.

Another possibility for the origins of the word pretzel is that the young monk gave these breads to children as a reward when they could recite their prayers. The Latin word pretiola means "little reward," from which pretzel could also be reasonably derived.

So, this Lent you may enjoy a pretzel and appreciate the history associated with it. I must wait until Easter to enjoy any pastry or candy. I gave those up for Lent. So far, I'm doing well.

Prayer For The Lenten Journey

God our Father,

you sent your Spirit to lead your Son Jesus into the desert to be tempted.

Be with us as we begin our journey through Lent.

Help us to see more clearly how we need to change so that we can resist temptation and grow in understanding.

Be with us as we plan our Lenten practices, and give us the resolve to carry them out.

Stir our desire to help the needy.

Help us discover ways to share what we have.

Speak to our hearts as well as our minds, and teach us to pray more sincerely and deeply.

We ask this through our model and teacher, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen.

Source: My church's bulletin

Giving Up Something For Lent

I switched to decaf drinks last year. Once a week, I need caffeine in my system to keep me going. Knowing this need, I decided to give up Starbucks coffee for Lent. Well, that went well for a week or two. I'd say I did miserably this year. I hope you did better than me.

In the age of technology, there could be more than food to give up:

(CNN) -- For some, it's chocolate. For others, it's coffee or cigarettes. But as this Easter approaches, some young and devout Christians are anxious to return to what they gave up for Lent: Internet sites Facebook and MySpace.
[...]
"It's been hard, especially in the beginning," said Kerry Graham, who says she gave up Facebook for Lent. Her boyfriend challenged her to do so, describing her as a "Facebook fiend."

During the first days of Lent, the 23-year-old graduate student admits she had to stop herself from typing the site's Web address nearly every time she checked her e-mail.

Read more...

As a blogger, I understand how hard that could be. I won't try it because I'll definitely fail. Not that I did better with coffee.

Prayer For New Growth

Holy and loving God,

Just as the gardener cares for what he has planted, so we nourish our growth with your tender care.

When our sins and offenses keep us from flourishing and bearing good fruit, you offer us your gift of forgiveness and the chance to begin again.

May our Lenten fast prune us of those habits of word and deed that prevent your grace from flowing in our lives.

May our Lenten prayer fertilize the roots of new growth in holiness.

May our Lenten almsgiving bring forth blossoms of generosity and good will toward all your creation.

Amen.

Source: My church's bulletin.

Ash Wednesday

Lent started yesterday with Ash Wednesday. I found the following Lent-related article that made me laugh:

If you're a Catholic, you traditionally give up something for Lent. That usually means comfort food, just at the time of year when you need comfort most, especially from food. So it's goodbye, chocolate, goodbye, Cheez Whiz nachos. Me, I give up meat, and also cream in my coffee. That means that I spend the entire 40 days of Lent (and, hey--it's actually longer than 40 days, because Sundays aren't counted) starving and thinking about steaks and latte. As the weeks pass, the steaks get thicker, the latte more foamy. I can always slip inside a church for distraction. That's great. No flowers, a bare altar, dirges for hymns. It's the season of penance. The priest wears depressing dark-purple vestments. He says a prayer that thanks God for "this season of joy." What joy? There are only two fun things about Lent. One is Mardi Gras. The other is checking out the foreheads of people at your job on Ash Wednesday to see whether they got ashes at the church that morning ("I didn't know you were a Catholic!").

Read more...

I know I should be more serious during Lent. But, I had to share the article with you.
 

Happy Fat Tuesday

I can't believe it's that time of the year again. It came too early this year. I even forgot the three days of Baoutha. Sis, don't tell my parents. I don't need them to lecture me at age 38.

As usual, New Orleans has the best celebrations for the day. For Australian readers, this Mardi Gras is very different than Sydney's Mardi Gras parade.

It's hard to think of what to give up for this Lent. I decided to give up eating out. In other words, I'm giving up eating kobab. Yes, I love kobab A LOT. Last year, I gave up rice and bread. That was really a bad idea. It's like asking a fish to live out of water. It didn't work well. I cheated a bit.

My husband doesn't participate in religious rituals. So, he dreads this time of the year. Sorry dear, it's for better and for worse. That's how it works.

In Iraq, Lent starts on a Monday. We don't have Ash Wednesday. I got accustomed to the Western calender after moving to Australia. While growing up in Basrah before Iran-Iraq war, part of the Christian community in Basrah would have a big picnic at Al-Sindbad Island on Monday to celebrate the day before Lent. You can think about it as a tiny version of Fat Tuesday without the parade.

Have a nice Fat Tuesday. If you're from New Orleans, enjoy the celebrations.