“Isn’t it odd that 2,000 years after the Resurrection the emphasis in Christianity is still more on the cross than on the empty tomb?” wrote Frank Moan, S.J., in 1982.

Do we actually believe in the idea of having fish on Fridays as a form of self-mortification or solidarity with those who have less? Or do we look at it more like paying our taxes — giving up the least possible amount?

Lent is about daring to peek outside that castle, trying to be more vulnerable and exposed.

Fasting, in addition to being obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, remains a common Lenten practice for many. But there are nuances to fasting that are not always well-known.

In Lent, we fast, we pray and we give to the poor. God does not love us more for doing these things. God cannot love us more. So why do we bother?

A Reflection for the Thursday after Ash Wednesday