I Gave Up Liver For Lent.

"I gave up liver for Lent," my brother Frank announced.

"But you hate liver, you can’t do that" I insisted. He contradicted me, "It’s my Lent, I can give up whatever I want."

Then he would begin his fishing expedition, "What are you giving up?"

Every year, from the time I received my first holy communion I tried to be a devout Catholic.

I didn’t want to give up candy because I knew I couldn’t go to the movies on weekends without buying a box of milk duds, Dots,a Clark bar or a Hershey bar.

Frank got that "genius" look in his eyes, "Hey, I have a good idea for Lent, why you just give up?"

Frank, my big brother, usually tried to set a good example for me but sometimes he got sidetracked by his innatedesire to be a comedian.

An idea dawned on me during Mass on Sunday. Father Perrotta, a strict, no-nonsense Priest who was missing afinger (that made him much more scary than Father Hammer) gave a stern homily about Lent. He explained that Lent was a period of reflection and penance. it would be a good time to abstain from alcohol and rich foods, to follow the example of Christ and to become a more spiritual person. He warned the parishioners of Saint Catherine’s to fast and abstain from eating meat on Wednesdays and Fridays. He suggested using a swear jar – when tempted to use foul language or having said a swear word you were to put a nickel or dime into the jar. Some of us would be wealthy by Easter. In any case, we would not be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven unless we shaped up.

As it happened on that particular Sunday I had waited for everybody to leave the Church before I went to the altar to light a candle and say a prayer for my dog Duke who had died recently. He needed all the prayers he could get and was probably giving everybody in heaven a hard time. When people asked me what breed he was I explained, "A Jack Russell Terror".

Father Perrotta approached me to say that Mass had ended and I should leave now. I said, "Father, can I ask you a question?".

He nodded and turned to listen. "Instead of giving up candy or chocolate for Lent, would it be okay if I went to Mass and communion every morning? I live near Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel and could go to 6 o’clock Mass before school. Father was stunned, "That would be a huge sacrifice, wouldn’t it? I agreed and reminded him about what he said during the homily that Lent was a period of self sacrifice.

Going to Mass and communion every day would certainly be that. He made the sign of the cross on my forehead and walked off behind the altar.

To my surprise he mentioned this during his homily the following Sunday without naming me. He said that certain people had a gift of interpreting the Word of God in a special way. "This little girl surprised me by finding a way to do something extra for Lent insteadof denying herself something. That’s wonderful. This is the true spirit of Christ."

As exited St. Catherine’s and began our walk home Frank got the "genius look" in his eyes again. "I’ve got. You know what,I’m doing something extra for Lent too! Instead of eating two Oreos, I’m going to eat four!" He has since joined Duke in Heaven. Can you imagine what it must be like for the others up there dealing with a Jack Russell terror and "Dennis the Menace?"