God's love...and bacon

Today is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday for you non-French-speakers), the day before Catholics begin the 40-day Lenten period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, leading up to Holy Week and Easter. Many people go overboard and eat and drink too much today to try to "get it all in" before they go on the wagon. Don't do that. Enjoy the day and remember it when you're feeling deprived soon (and give thanks for both things because God loves you enough to include feasting and fasting in life). 

On this day, every year, part of our celebration always includes...bacon. Not just any bacon. This bacon

I don't know how many years ago we became acquainted with this delicious morsel but I am grateful, specifically, for the bringer of the gift - my aunt. She is an 87-year-old Slovak lady who suffered a lot growing up and now, a successful, retired physician, she enjoys sharing her bounty with her family. She receives a million food catalogs every year and was excited to try this because, not only is it bacon, the pigs are treated like royalty...they're fed acorns and who knows what else (she had no children of her own and she's one of those crazy-cat-lady-animal-lovers...but not in a completely crazy way. You can still have bacon, it just needs to live well first). It's some pretty special stuff. Perfect for a pre-Lenten treat. 

The synopsis? God loves us. So much that He sent His only Son to die for our sins. He is the Creator of all and giver of all good gifts. His gifts in my life are innumerable and today we celebrate two...my dear aunt who loves us enough to seek out amazing treats to enjoy and for the humble pig. We will enjoy our feast together today and tomorrow we will start our journey into Lent. 

I realize there are some of you in Septuagesima season already and that's cool. I'm not exactly an expert in the 40 days yet so I'm not going to add more challenge at this point. For now, we went as a family to Adoration this afternoon and we'll pray that we can have the graces we need to achieve the exact Lent that God has planned for us. Like before I gave birth the first time, I usually have a lot of things planned for Lent and they usually don't end up the way I thought they should be. Luckily for me, they're always so much more...because God took the reigns and did His work in my life. 

Holy Father, let us be open to You in our lives this Lent and always. Help us to never fail to see you in our neighbors, our friends, and in those who cause us grief and pain. Let us be first to help. Let us be first to give. Let us be first to sacrifice. Let us help Your Kingdom Come. 

We are blessed.