Shrove Tuesday

Today is the day prior to lent that most folks refer to as "Fat Tuesday". In my neck of the woods that usually involves eating plenty of paczki (sometimes spelled more phonetically: pounchki, punchki) and vowing to sacrifice ourselves by swearing off all sorts of the simple pleasures in life (for alot of the men in my region, favorites to give up are beer, or whiskey, or tobacco). It is typically a fun day that is slightly tinged (and rightly so) with the knowledge that we are about to embark on a journey of struggle.

However, less commonly mentioned is that today is also Shrove Tuesday. In this traditional day before Lent activity (which originally dates to the middle ages), people were urged to confess their sins in order to be absolved from them (shriven from them). In addition they would prepare for even deeper self-examination and attempts to grow.

Therefore, below I shall list what I consider to be the most agregious of my many sins. As I believe all of us sin, and likely sin more often than we may even be aware of, I list those that I am most aware of and most ashamed of:

1. I have sinned in becoming angry and aggrivated at family members that I love so dearly.

2. I have sinned in being impatient with family members who need my patience.

3. I have sinned in talking negatively about others at work, even if what I said may be true... it is wrong for me to do this.

4. I have sinned in hurting the feelings of family and friends.

5. I have sinned in wearing a condom during a session of physical love (This is a sin for me as a Roman Catholic because it goes against our philosophical teachings. It is not sinful for those of other faiths or philosophies.).

The above are those actions I am most displeased with in myself and seek absolution for. However, I realize that true absolution will only occur for me philosophically if I make the effort and acheive success in changing those actions in the future.

Comments are appreciated, as always.

PipeTobacco