So, in case you don’t know, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  Like all good Catholics, I had to think of something to give up from now until Easter.  OK, technically you can choose to do something extra, preferably some sort of service, but most folks I know give something up.

Now, this is a big deal to me.  I don’t like to repeat myself one year after another.  I also want it to be something I really like and will miss.  So, I won’t give up cottage cheese or cream-dried beef or light beer.  No, it has to be something special.

In the past, I’ve given up such things as beer, all alcohol, coffee, pizza, steak, or rice.  Trust me on that last one, I loved rice as a kid.

This year, I decided to go with something completely new for me – something I’ve never given up before.  It was hard for me to find such a thing, but I did.  From now until Easter, I shall have no spicy foods or sauces.  This will be a difficult time for me, because I put Frank’s Red Hot or Tabasco Sauce on just about everything.  On top of that, I love hot wings, and every time I get a deli sandwich I tell them to put on “as many hot peppers as you can fit, then put on another handful.”

Can I hold out for the next 7-and-a-half weeks?  Absolutely – it won’t be a problem.  But food will taste a little bland to me until then.  Nonetheless, it’s a small sacrifice that I will make for Jesus.

How about you?  If you are Catholic, what did you give up for Lent this year?  If you’re not Catholic, what do you think you could give up for these 7-1/2 weeks?