Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,^* take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24

This is a place to share your spiritual struggles, hopes, and successes as we live out what taking up the cross means.

In Matthew 11, Jesus also says, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

I heard a commentary on this from Fr. Mike Schmitz recently. He said we tend to think of ourselves in a single yoke, but a double yoke was more commonly used, and what Jesus was referring to.

When we assume his yoke, we are beside him, laboring side by side with his strength pulling us on.

I stumbled across this podcast this morning. Missy Robertson, Kirk Cameron, and Riley Gaines (representing Bethany Hamilton, the surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack) had an appearance at the Hendersonville, Tennessee public library last week. They were to read children’s books they’d written for Brave Books, stories based on faith-based principles.

The staff did everything they could to disrupt the event, and according to Missy, kept the parents and kids in line outside in the freezing rain when they could have formed the lines inside the library.

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Last week we talked about having a post for people to share their struggles and successes in pursuit of fasting, sacrifices, and healthy living. I had originally intended a weekly post which would be for discussions from both a religious and secular point of view.

After reading comments, as well as reflecting on past feedback from our Treepers, I think that may not be the way to go. We have readers who love to share their religious posts, and mostly do that on the OT, every day. I do think there may be opportunities for those who want to dig deeper into things like fasting and contemplative prayer, or theological discussions, and sacrificial living.

That being said, this is an opportunity for sharing. I am not attempting to guide the Treehouse on a more religious path, or veer away from what it has become. The post will not be a place for arguments or attacks on another denomination. If it goes in that direction I will simply discontinue the posts. There are good sites where one can follow apologetics from many perspectives. Go there for that.

We have also gotten a lot of feedback over the years from people who want a place for discussions other than politics that is not overwhelmingly a faith based discussion. We will try that out also, and I will remind posters to respect the intent of each post, and the audience who may want to contribute. (more…)

Most people of faith have heard much about Catholic practices during Lent. Indeed, we earned the label fish eaters fair and square. Many fast food restaurants add a fish sandwich to their menu in the spring. You start seeing Friday Fish Fry signs beside Catholic churches. By the way, if you haven’t tried out a fish fry, it’s usually a good way to get a pretty good meal cheap.

We’ve had a day of fasting last week on Ash Wednesday, and we will again fast and abstain from eating meat for our one meal on Good Friday. There are also rules about Friday for the rest of the year, but I’m not wanting to talk about our Fridays so much here. Catholics know and practice these things, or they don’t.

What I would like to discuss here, and expand on to a bigger picture, is the custom of Christians who fast, or make personal sacrifices, and not just during Lent. Many Christians have found it very beneficial to choose to give up food, television, sleeping later in order to pray, or some other attachment in order to further their relationship with God. And further yet, personal sacrifices past Lent, every day struggles.

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Gospel
Mt 4:1-11
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
He said in reply,
“It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God.” (more…)

Jl 2:12-18
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.

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Today is Fat Tuesday, the culmination of the famous season of Mardi Gras.

Debauchery. Bacchanalia. Floats, costumes, beads and masks, and lots of drinking and partying. That’s what we think of when we hear the term Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.

There is a lot more behind it. Also called Shrove Tuesday, it marks the last day of the liturgical calendar before Lent begins.

After Catholicism spread throughout Europe, many cultures celebrated the final day before Lent began in ways unique to that individual  culture. Eggs, and milk were finished off in one day, giving rise to the term Fat Tuesday. In Poland, such things as lard, sugar, eggs, and fruit were forbidden during Lent, and the beloved  pączki became a special treat for Fat Tuesday. In Detroit they still sell many thousands of them to long lines of people. (more…)