So today at lunch I hit church for Ash Wednesday. This morning before I left for work I probably spent about 30 minutes on-line trying to track down which churches in the suburbs in or around where I work were having Ash Wednesday services and at what time.

You'd think I was asking what the Pope wears under his vestments for the love of all that is good and holy.

Finally I looked up the Archdiocese of Chicago's web page and if that isn't a handy little tool I don't know what is. I found a church, gave them a call - no Web site - and learned on the lunchtime service.

Or as I'd like to call it, the Ash Wednesday Nooner.

I will probably never get used to suburban, or, newfangled churches as the ones I grew up attending all look like Catholic churches are supposed to look like - all Gothic and big and steeple-y. I must have driven by this church about five times before I realized that, no, this building on my left isn't city hall but rather Our Lady of Perpetual Whatsitsfutz.

The service was rather quick, but the homily was great and reminded me that for as much as we all wail, bitch and moan about Lent, and sacrifice and all that comes with it, it's really a time for forgiveness and renewal and reflection, and those are concepts we can all let into our lives a little more often.

I'm giving up booze in all of its various forms this Lent, and I'm trying to figure out what I can do as I try and do something as opposed to just giving up something. I find it just makes you count down the days until you can indulge in your vice again, which defeats the purpose. I'll probably hit church every Sunday but I'm guessing there is something more I can be doing. I'll figure it out in the next day or so, I hope.

Until then, I'm opting to be grateful because there is so much to be grateful for.

Posted by Erin at 01:02 PM | filed under: Religion, God, Whatnot

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