Last year for Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday, I began a series of weekly columns about fasting from certain attitudes and striving to become more virtuous. A few of the columns that were written made their way into my new book Cultivating God’s Garden through Lent.

The list of those fourteen “Fasting From” reflections became popular, and many friends said they had printed them out and hung them in work spaces. It seems they bear repeating. So, here is an excerpt from my book with those attitude adjusting reflections:

One year during a late winter retreat a small handout was distributed and the idea of “giving up,” or fasting, took on a whole new purpose. Here is what it said: Fast from bitterness; turn to forgiveness Fast from hatred; return good for evil Fast from negativism; be positive Fast from complaining; be grateful Fast from pessimism; be an optimist Fast from harsh judgments; think kindly thoughts Fast from worry; trust in Divine Providence Fast from discouragement; be full of hope Fast from anger; be more patient Fast from pettiness; be more mature Fast from gloom; enjoy the beauty around you Fast from jealousy; pray for trust Fast from gossiping; control your thoughts Fast from sin; turn to virtue Maybe I should consider hanging this list on the fridge for more than the forty days of Lent.

We are taught to be charitable in how we respond towards others. We also need to be charitable with ourselves as we become a more virtuous person. Let us begin our journey this Lent with our hearts open, accepting the challenges to become who we are truly called to be as Christians. A virtuous life isn’t for the faint of heart.

May God always be praised!