In Defense of Chocolate

Or so they say...

Lent is just around the corner, which means blog posts galore will circle the internet telling you what you should give up for Lent. In recent years, I’ve also seen a number of posts and memes making the rounds that tell you what you should not give up for Lent—mainly, chocolate. While the intentions of these posts are usually innocent (writing that you should do something more spiritual for Lent instead), they do unintentionally rip on those of us who do choose to give up chocolate for Lent, usually making the broad assumption that giving up chocolate is a waste and does not relate to your relationship with God at all.

So, I am here today to convince you that they could not be more wrong. I am here today in defense of chocolate as a Lenten sacrifice.

First, I am of the opinion that we should not be judging the sacrifices of others. What may be a very difficult sacrifice for one person might be easy peasy for the next. But that doesn’t make the sacrifice any less for the person who finds it difficult. For example, giving up coffee for someone like me (who drinks coffee maybe three times a year) would not be a sacrifice, but for someone who has three cups a day, that is a huge sacrifice!

I have given up chocolate for Lent for the past few years, and while it is not the only sacrifice I make, it is certainly my most difficult. I have a not-so-secret love affair with chocolate. We are like peanut butter and jelly—we just go together. And so to willingly separate myself from something that I quite enjoy is not an easy feat! For someone who doesn’t have quite the level of love affair with chocolate as I do, giving up chocolate may not be a sacrifice, and that’s ok. But just because something may not be hard for one person does not mean we should belittle that it might be difficult for others.

Hello, my sweet.

Second, like many things in our lives, it is all about your intention. If you treat your sacrifice of chocolate like a new year’s resolution to help you lose weight or just as a way to break a pesky (but not overly harmful) habit, is your intention really getting at the heart of Lent? Probably not. But if you approach your sacrifice similar to how Christ fasted in the desert, such as to help you develop self-control and recognize that there are things that have a hold in your life that distract you from what really matters (that would be God), then it sounds like the intention behind your sacrifice is the exact purpose of Lent, no matter what that sacrifice may be.

Giving up chocolate in past years has really pushed me to grow in self-control, and this newfound self-control doesn’t just apply to whether or not to eat chocolate. It helps in all aspects of my life, and even leads to practicing more self-control with temptations to sin. Whether it is instigated by giving up chocolate or something else, developing self-control helps us grow in holiness. When I learned that I could say no to chocolate, I found that I could also say no a little bit more easily to things like gossip, or anger, or impatience. Along with this, I found myself having more freedom to say yes to the things that really matter: more prayer, learning about the saints, and putting my relationship with God first. Is chocolate the only roadblock on my path to holiness? Of course not. But if sacrificing chocolate helps me to overcome other obstacles, then the intention behind that sacrifice is exactly how we are supposed to approach Lent.

Finally, it also comes down to how you use it. A fast from something like chocolate (or coffee, TV, social media, etc.), no matter how minor, can be put to great use. As Catholics, I’m sure we are all familiar with the phrase “Offer it up!”, but how often to we actually put it into action? St. John Paul the Great, who experienced enormous suffering in his life, famously said that we should not waste our suffering.

The first couple of weeks of my chocolate fast are pretty rough. I find myself craving just a bite of smooth, milky chocolate multiple times a day. Whenever this happens, I try to offer up this craving for someone or something that could really use the prayers. Last year, I chose a different person or intention to offer it up for each day during Lent. Imagine how many prayers those intentions got just from my chocolate cravings alone! Now, will me giving up chocolate get a poor soul out of purgatory or send miraculous healing to a friend? Will my small bit of chocolate deprived suffering change the world? Probably not. But even the smallest offerings, when joined with Christ on the cross and given to God on behalf of others, can be used in the most mysterious ways.

In closing, I find chocolate to be a perfectly acceptable and worthy Lenten sacrifice, and I hope that many of you can now agree, so we can see an end to the posts that trivialize my favorite/not-so-favorite Lenten sacrifice. And with that, I rest my case. As members of the jury, feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments!

P.S. If you want to read another post where the writer agrees with me, check it out here.

This post originally appeared on Ignitum Today.

And the Winner is...

Y'all remember my #LentPlaylist challenge?

It's time to announce the winner!

Drum roll please...

I said drum roll, not rick roll... geesh.

That's better-ish. But kinda lame.

Yes. Just yes. That's what I'm talking about.

Aaaaaand back to announcing the winner...

The "Most Listened To Song During Lent" is...

I especially like the part at 4:31!

Desert Soul by Rend Collective Experiment!

This song is especially perfect for Lent. As we all know, Lent can be an especially... trying time. Spiritually. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.

But it is also a great time to find our center and remind ourselves that we are just a dry, barren, desert soul without God. It's a time to remember that we should always be running towards God.

I love You Lord

But I want to love You more

I need You God

But I want to need You more

I'm lost without

Your creative spark in me

I'm dead inside

Unless Your resurrection sings

I'm desperate for a desperate heart

I'm reaching out, I'm reaching

All that I am is dry bones

Without You Lord, a desert soul

I am broken but running

Towards You God, You make me whole

You are exactly what we need

Only You can satisfy 

That being said, we should always be running towards God, not just during Lent. So put on your running shoes, blast this song on your iPod, and let's get going.

You may be wondering, Yes, this is great, I like this song too... BUT WHO SUGGESTED THIS SONG TO YOU AND IS THE OH-SO-LUCKY WINNER OF THE DELICIOUS BAKED GOODS?!?

Well, I heard about Rend Collective Experiment just before Lent started, when the extremely talented Audrey Assad posted about them on Facebook and Twitter. Because Audrey and I are BFF+Ever, I trusted her and gave them a listen and was hooked like a fish. I bought their album right away, and haven't looked back since.

So, congratulations Audrey, you win delicious homemade baked goods!

Think she'd mind sending me her address so I can ship them to her?

Too creepy?

Some other great songs that were close in the running...

Here With Me by MercyMe

I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons

Blessed Are the Ones by Audrey Assad

Meant to Live by Switchfoot

The Spirit and the Bride by Matt Maher

OK, now it's your turn again. What should have made the list, but didn't this time around?

Feel free to make your case if you think you should have been the lucky ducky winner.

The Look

Peter's Denial by Carl Bloch

After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, “This man too was with him.” But he denied it saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” A short while later someone else saw him and said, “You too are one of them”; but Peter answered, “My friend, I am not.” About an hour later, still another insisted, “Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.” Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” He went out and began to weep bitterly. (Luke 22: 54-62)

How did Jesus look at Peter? What was on his face that made Peter realize that he had denied Christ? What did Jesus' expression say that made Peter go out and weep bitterly?

Jesus could have looked at Peter with a smug face that said, "I told you so!"

He could have looked at Peter with anger. "How could you deny me, after everything I've taught you, everything I've done for you!?!?"

Christ could have looked at Peter with hurt and sadness, where his eyes said it all: "All I ever asked from you was to follow me, and you can't even do that when I need you the most..."

Jesus could have looked at Peter in any of those ways, and I'm sure any of these would have made Peter shed some tears.

But these looks don't belong on the face of Jesus that Peter knew, that we all know.

I think Jesus looked at Peter with love. His eyes said, "I forgive you. I am with you to the end. I still love you, no matter what you do."

And that kind of expression - that look of love, even when we feel unworthy of being loved - is what made Peter weep.

Wouldn't you?

We found Love in a hopeless place...

Ode to St. Joe

Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, which is my favorite feast day in the Church.

Jesus says, "I like your beard."

And no, it’s not just because his feast day always falls during the Lenten season and I get to go all...

Alright, maybe just a wee bit.

But really...

It's because St. Joe,
As you may well know,
Is my very favorite beau.

(I call that little ditty “Ode to St. Joe” and yes, I know it’s a masterpiece. Copyright, TM, patent pending, etc. No stealing, I spent a lot of time writing that rhyme.)

Why is he my favorite beau?

Well, he's helped me get a job - twice! - including the one where I just celebrated my one year anniversary.

He helps me out with vocational and relationship advice. It's like girl talk, but I'm on earth, and he's in Heaven. So we don't get to paint each other's nails, but whatevs. Maybe in Heaven someday?

He's pretty much the most powerful intercessor ever, because he's Jesus' foster daddy. I mean, you never say no to your foster daddy, right?

And he is just otherwise pretty much the best saint ever. The bomb dot com. Awesome sauce. Cooler than the flip side of my pillow. A bada** saint.

St. Joe spent his daily life living with Jesus and Mary. Jesus. and Mary. Can you just stop for a minute and think about how EPIC that would be? He got to live with GOD and the Mother of God.

That just blows my mind.

And also, can you imagine how difficult that would be? I mean, you're living with two perfect people. I think I would feel so completely unworthy and imperfect and just... dumb. All the time! But then again, I don't have the humility and patience that St. Joe had.

St. Joe also is known for the most epic line ever in Scripture:

" "

With this beautiful line, he shows us the importance of shutting up and just listening to God. I mean, he completely trusted God, 100%. Even when trusting God was difficult, when it led him to being ridiculed and shunned by society, when he was forced to flee to Egypt and all over the place... St. Joe risked his life over and over again to do what God was calling him to do. If only we all had the trust and resolve to just let go and follow God's call like St. Joe did.

I could go on and on and on about St. Joe, and how he is such a great example to all of us - to me - but instead I will leave you with another one of my epic poems. I know that's why y'all are really here.

(Yep, stiiiiiiiiiill working on that humility thing. Can you help me out, St. Joe?)

St. Joe, St. Joe,
He doesn't want to be your foe.
He wants you to love God mo' and mo',
And to His call never say "No!"
Even if it means you'll be po'.
So hop in the boat and row,
Pick up your plow and sow,
Get in your truck and tow,
Jump on your horse and... "Whoa!"
Whatever it is, just go,
Giving glory to God high and low,
And trust God just like St. Joe!
St. Joe, St. Joe,
All he wants is to be your beau!

Who is your favorite saint? What do you love about him or her? Please write me an epic poem, in iambic pentameter, about your favorite saint. 

(I would appreciate a Shakespearean or Petrarchan sonnet format, but I will let you have creative license.) 

If I eat all the chocolate in the world today...

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Who else is excited for Lent?

Offer It Up

The Bright Maidens are back to Live Lent!

Welcome back ladies, we've missed writing with you!

Our Heavenly Father... longs  to convince us of his passionate love for each one of us, that relentless mercy which calls - and enables - us to share his own divine life, that fiery outpouring of love... Let's face it, we humans really don't want God to love us that much. It's simply too demanding. Obedience is one thing, but this sort of love clearly calls for more than keeping commandments. It calls for nothing less than total self-donation. That might not be a difficult job for the three infinite Persons of the Trinity, but for creatures like us, such love is a summons to martyrdom. This invitation requires much more suffering and self-denial than simply giving up chocolate for Lent. It demands nothing less than a constant dying to self.

-Scott Hahn, A Father Who Keeps His Promises, page 18

When I was "growing up" (as in, through college!), I never really took the "Give up something for Lent" thing very seriously.

That wasn't completely honest. I never really took Lent seriously.

That wasn't completely honest either. I never really took the whole "Living the Catholic Faith" thing seriously.

Anyway, I thought Lent was just another part of the Church year where you just chug-chug-chugged along until you got to wear your brand new dress at Easter.

I would sometimes "give up" something for Lent, but I hardly ever stuck to it. Or if I did, I found ways to master my way around it.

Like that time I gave up dessert... I started eating my cake before dinner. Appetizers, anyone? I get points for creativity, right?

Christ of St. John of the Cross
by Salvador Dali

Thankfully, I've grown to learn that Lent is not just another part of the Church year. It is the Church year.

It is through Lent that we truly live out the Christian life. Suffering and sacrifice and wandering in the spiritual desert with Christ? Yes. We are all called to walk the way of the Cross.

But like at the end of Lent, we are also told that through our suffering and sacrifice and spiritual dryness, we will encounter joy and love through the Cross and ultimately with the Resurrection.

We aren't called to just chug through Lent for 40 days. We are called to live it... each and every day. Yes, the entire year!

Since I started taking Lent - and, well, this whole living Catholic thing - seriously, sacrifice and suffering for me has been focused on giving up attachments that are in some way keeping me from giving a complete gift of self to God and others. It's about giving up things that distract me and get in the way of being who I am called to be.

Here's my Lenten routine...

Give up chocolate. Chocolate and I have a very... special relationship. 

... and that's putting it mildly! All I can say is, Bless the poor souls who get to put up with me when I go all cold turkey without my chocolate.

Chocolate is an addiction for me. I crave it. I need it. I have torn apart my kitchen looking for it before. I don't know what it is, but there are times that it controls me. And after I give into the craving, I always feel a little bit sad, because I didn't have the self-control to say no!

So by giving it up for Lent, I am working on my self-control, which Lord knows is something I need... desperately. And not just with chocolate.

Give up the drinks. I love milk. I enjoy juice. I like a beer every now and then. I hate water. Hate it. It's so... boring! Seriously, something that is that good for you should at least have a taste!

So, for Lent I'm giving up all drinks except for water (and I make an exception for milk on my cereal... girl needs her multi-grain Cheerios, mkay?!). 

In addition to giving up chocolate, only drinking water helps me put some focus on not just my spiritual health, but also my physical health. My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit! After I receive the Eucharist, I am physically carrying Christ to the world! I know that I sometimes put so much effort into my spiritual workout that I just put my body to the side, but I have to remember that this body is a gift from God, and needs nurtured just like everything else.

Listen only to Christian music. I wrote about how I love my little musical guilty pleasures. I actually don't really find anything wrong with non-Christian music, but I do find something wrong with how I let it affect me sometimes.

I love love love music and how it speaks to me, but there are times when my guilty pleasures feed into my state of life - I'm talking loneliness, impatience, and lack of trust. Listening to a lot of this music (ahem, maybe mostly TSwizzle Diggity Dawg) brings all of these emotions to the forefront - even when I was feeling perfectly fine before! - and just lets that longing for wanting to be loved and cared for by another surface and bubble over. And this is when the emotional chastity goes out the door and the pity party begins.

By listening only to Christian music (or music that reminds me of God), it helps me shift that desire for another to my longing for The Other, as in God. It leads my heart and mind to be more focused in prayer, and I have to say that of all the things I've ever sacrificed, this has been the most fruitful for me in building a stronger spiritual life. It also reminds me why I struggle so much with loneliness, impatience, and lack of trust - because the desire I have for loving another is a good thing! But it also reminds me that I have to have patience, which again, Lord knows I need!

~*~

Some of you might be thinking, "Uh Liesl, did you not read your own book excerpt that you put at the beginning? Lent is more than just giving up chocolate!" And you would be right!

So, what do we do with all these little sufferings and sacrifices? OFFER IT UP! 

This is a concept that evaded me until a couple of years ago, but think about it... What did Christ do? Whine that he had to die on the Cross? H--- to the NO!

He offered it up for each and every one of us, in atonement for our sins. We are invited to join with his sacrifice by offering up our sacrificial splinters to be a part of his cross.

I offer up each of my sacrifices and sufferings for something very close to my heart, each and every time. But you can offer it up for anyone or anything you want - just don't waste your suffering! 

... Even if you are just suffering over not being able to chomp on a piece of chocolate!

It's Coming...

I know that most of us aren't ready for this discussion, but we can’t go on ignoring the elephant in the room.

Not really sure how you could ignore this cute wittle itty bitty baby ewephant!
Wook at him pwaying wif the baby birds!
What you can ignore is how annoying it was to type that baby waby voice. Please never again.

Lent begins in two weeks.

I know, I know! We’re in denial.

“We just took down the Christmas decor!” we all say!

“We also enjoy using the royal 'we'” we all also say!

But we need to bring it up because I need your help. Here cometh my plea.

One of the things I do for Lent is listen only to Christian music. In the car. Working out. While I bake. When I should be attempting to get out of bed in the morning. Those kinds of things.

This means I give up my guilty pleasures that include but are not limited to: Yellowcard and Maroon 5 and Sara B and TSwizzle Dawg and Key-$-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha and all that rap music I listen to on a daily basis. I’ve gained a lot spiritually from doing this in the past (which I then sometimes tend to lose when I pick up the Queen of Emotional Chastity’s music again [TSwizzle, in case you were confuzzled {I think I lost my parenthesis}]).

As much as I love my Christian mix of Audrey Assad (you should click on each one of these here, do it!), Matt Maher (well hello look at that, there's more), MercyMe (how can I come up with more words for you to click), Relient K (make them up laaaa deeee daaaa because I clearly love Relient K), Switchfoot (running out of words wooooooo weeeeeee), and even a dash of Chris Tomlin (and by "dash", I mostly just mean this one on repeat), it gets old after - oh... a week. And we all know all too well that Lent lasts for six looooooooooooong weeks. We know. Royally and collectively.

By the way, if you actually clicked and listened to all those music links... well, you win the coveted award for "Liesl's Favorite Person of the Day!" And now that you all have your eyes on the prize, I hear you all say...

Anyway, so I’m asking for your help. I need song recommendations! Songs that are great for morning car rides or getting pumped up for a workout or waking up in the morning or diving deeper into prayer. I need some great Christian music to listen to during Lent and beyond!

If my playlist of choice helps you understand a bit of what I like, steer that-a way. I can be kind of picky when it comes to music, especially Christian music. I like good and complex-ish lyrics (i.e. I look for a bit more than “God, You are so awesome!!!!!!”), intricate harmonies, and cool instrumental things happening in the background. I don’t usually listen to most of the “Praise and Worship” music out there, so Christian radio is usually a no-go for me.

I’m even willing to allow songs on my playlist that remind me of God or make me want to pray, even if they aren’t actually about God (or are they secretly about God, hmmmmmm...?).

Example: We Found Love by Rihanna
Counter-Example: State of Grace by Taylor Swift (I'm kind of in a relationship with this song right now... buuuuuuut, contrary to what the title suggests, this song is not about the state of your soul if you plan on receiving communion, or how awesome your life is after you go to confession. I know! I was shocked too!)

So, sendeth forth your ideas. Please make sure that your email address is linked to your comment (here’s how to do it) in case I need to follow up with you... which would happen if a) I love your suggestion and want more or b) I hate your suggestion and want to heckle you every day.

In exchange, I’m offering a little prize. Yes, before you ask, it is more than the coveted award of "Liesl's Favorite Person of the Day!", although I think that should be enough incentive...

If one of the songs that you suggest becomes my #1 favorite song of this Lenten season, then I will send you a box of personally made by me baked goods. Yummity yum yum. To be kind of scientific, I will go by the number of plays a song gets on my iPod (fair, right?). And if a song that I picked is the most listened to... well, then I will bake myself some chocolate deliciousness... after Easter.

Let the games begin. And may the iPod odds be ever in your favor.