As many blog readers know, I am a religious person, even though I don't make many explicitly religious posts. But this year, for Lent, I have decided to write a religious post every Wednesday. If you aren't religious, just slip Wednesdays. If you only want religious posts, only come on Wednesdays. Easy enough.

Traditionally, Lent is a time of fasting. In the Catholic Church, we are required to fast only two days (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday). Only people between the ages of 18 and 60 need to fast and, even then, you need not eschew all food. You eat only one full meal, but you can have two smaller meals, but no between meal snacks.

Even though the required fasts of Lent are limited, many people make specific sacrifices, giving up a favorite food or drink or habit. Among the most popular give-ups are chocolate, alcohol, smoking, and Facebook. A common February question among Catholics is "What are you giving up for Lent?" But a better question is "Why are you giving up for Lent?" Lenten sacrifices aren't like New Year's resolutions, designed to help you lose weight, eat healthy, or get in shape.So, why do we fast:

• To allow ourselves to feel hungry. The physical hunger or wanting we feel reminds us of our spiritual hunger and inflames our desire for God.
• Most of us don't experience hunger or real want very often. By choosing to go without during Lent, we remember those who go without the basic necessities of life. Ideally, we contribute the money that we would spend on our little treats to a charity that assists those in need.
• Giving up extras and things that clutter our lives helps us to re-orient our priorities so that we save time for the things that are truly important.
• Our sacrifices require us to be more intentional about our everyday actions, giving us little reminders of our relationship with God throughout the day. For example, this year I decided to give up cinnamon on my coffee. Every morning, the first thing I do at work is to get a cup of coffee and I put a sprinkling of cinnamon on it. I love cinnamon on my coffee and there is certainly nothing wrong with it. But every morning, the act of getting my coffee reminds me that it is Lent and that I need to focus on my true priorities. And my coffee will taste so good after Easter!
• Fasting also teaches us self-discipline. Self-discipline is simply the ability to tell yourself no. That's not a very popular skill these days, but it's an essential skill for growing into a compassionate, loving adult.

So, why are you giving up for Lent?