Last night
we watched Bishop Fulton Sheen.
He spoke about how,
in the modern, Catholic Church
(this was in the 1960’s)
people don’t seem to do
self-discipline and abstinence
any more.

He saw a culture of,
“I want it, so I’ll have it.
Sure what difference
would it make?” –
a mind-set that is greatly encouraged
by the evil one.

It made me think
about my attitude
to Wednesdays and Fridays –
days that we treat
as days of abstinence.

To be honest,
my heart sinks a little
when I awake
on each of these days
and as I anticipate the abstinences
that lie ahead
(especially the bikkies and chocolate!)

Listening to Bishop Fulton Sheen
made me think …
Rather than seeing
Wednesdays and Fridays
as days when I do without,
why not see them instead
as days when I do something
specially for Jesus?

It could be
like my own wee gift
to Jesus.
A gift that I can give
with a smile
instead of with a sinking heart.
(Doesn’t God love
a cheerful giver?)

And no matter
what other people
or the evil one might tell me,
I know that
each of these days of abstinence,
each wee gift,
will make a difference
to Jesus.

© 18th August 2023