I have had an axe to grind with Lent.

Lent is supposed to be a season of sacrifice and reconciliation in the Catholic Church. For forty days and nights, we reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, by dying so that we can be free from sin and death. You go to church every Sunday, confess your sins, and, by tradition, you give something up that you really like, such as candy, soda, Facebook, etc. Doesn't sound so bad, does it?

As human beings usually do, they find something wrong with everything. I immediately saw what was wrong with Lent the second I started attempting to give something up: to these people, it really wasn't about Jesus or the sacrifices he made so that we could be free from sin. It was basically a circus event of people trying to outdo each other through their Lenten sacrifices, all in the name of self-control, something that should be done all of the time rather than some of the time. I'm sure to this very day, some of those people still do it; they brag about what they're going to give up and how awesome of a person they are because of it. If you don't, then good for you; you've learned how to stop throwing dirt on a good message.

For years, I stayed extremely bitter at this time of the year because of that. However, I'm changing my stance on it in 2013, thanks to a good friend of mine who reminded me on how it should be done. Instead of giving things up, we should start reaching out to one another in the spirit of reconciliation, and that's what I intend to do throughout Lent. Sounds shocking, doesn't it? Returning to what the original message of Lent is, what Jesus intended it all to be, right? It might be a bit alarming to those who believe that giving things up temporarily (and thus temporarily practicing self-control) is a good idea. It's good practice, but self-control is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year virtue, you know, like all the other virtues?

Here's the kicker (something that may shock plenty of you): I'm going to start sending messages to those who I despise and those who despise me and reach out to them in the spirit of Lenten forgiveness. This is not a one-time, Lent-only deal—it's something that will be done all the time from now on, the way Jesus intended it to be, the correct way. No conditions, no ulterior motives, no bullshit, this is a genuine reaching out. I'm ready to take action immediately.