One of our Friars, Fr. Tom Gallagher O.F.M, has challenged our congregation with a series of seven fasting and feasting suggestions for Lent. None of them involve food, cell phone use or Facebook. Each day for the next week, I will highlight one of these and share my thoughts about how I am responding to the challenge. I especially like that these are all applicable to all people, not just Catholics, since I know that a majority of my followers aren’t Christian.
“Fasting from apathy and feasting on engagement”
I treasure the curiosity I exhibit here as a friend of my grandfather’s introduces me to a baby porcupine he has rescued and is hand feeding. While I am naturally cautious, I am responding to the invitation to approach and engage. There are many prickly issues right now, and I am surrounded by them in the U.S. I certainly recognize my desire to ignore the turmoil. Sometimes I even surrender to the apathetic stance of “what can I do, anyway?”
I am encouraged instead to engage with the cultural dialogue. I can risk offending gun advocates, for instance, by sharing my views on the accessibility of guns here. I can assert that there is such a thing as truth when some tell me everything is relative. I don’t have to do any of this with the motive of changing anyone’s mind. I just need to engage.
May I have the courage I had as a little girl when approaching today’s “porcupines,”
Saved By Words 
An interesting analogy of life with a porcupine, Elizabeth. I am looking forward to reading about the feasting and fasting suggestions.
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Thanks.
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This is a great concept. Thanks for sharing. Plus I love the photo!
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Thanks.
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Nice way to spend Lent Elizabeth.
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Hi Elizabeth -I love that you were able to locate a photograph of yourself being invited to “approach and engage” with something prickly! How many of us have a visual reference that we have had this experience in our lives (probably more times than we appreciate)? This post also reminds me of something I heard recently, about approaching problems and uncertainties with a sense of curiosity and creativity instead of dread and resignation. Thanks for sharing!
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I have hundreds of old photos on my computer thanks to the work of a relative. I am able to look through them to illustrate my writings. They are a wonderful resource. I appreciate your adding what you recently learned about curiosity rather than dread.
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So true Elizabeth, it will be good if all of us think in the same way , the problems are the same everywhere. Such a sweet photo, who took it ?
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My grandfather, I believe.
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Your friar is wise to look at lent in a different context. Porcupines are touchy subjects so are guns. We have evolved from fasting from eating chocolates to turning off social media. Again, I read the magic word, cultural engagement with no motive of changing them. That I believe what Jesus did.
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That is exactly how I read the Gospel.
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