By now you’ve probably gone to the Lent Madness website looking to read about a couple of saints, maybe make a comment or two, and then vote. Or you’ve wondered why you haven’t received the morning e-mail that’s become as much a part of your daily routine as drinking that first cup of coffee or putting in your contact lenses. Maybe you’ve even called tech support to see if something is wrong with your computer or smart phone? “Why can’t I vote!” you’ve screamed, waking up everyone in your household and/or neighborhood.
These next two days mark the first full weekend of Lent Madness, in which fans must survive 48 hours of vote deprivation. Lent Madness Withdrawal (LMW) is a well-known phenomenon, though its cure remains elusive.
The Supreme Executive Committee has developed several coping strategies to help you safely navigate the non-voting days of Lent Madness:
Don’t panic! Nothing is wrong with your computer – Lent Madness voting only takes place during the weekdays of Lent. Put on some purple yoga pants and breathe. Or drop into a Lamaze class even if you’re not expecting a future saint within the next nine months. The breathing techniques you learn will be with you throughout al future periods of LMW.- Like Lent Madness on Facebook. We often post links and/or pictures on the Lent Madness Facebook page to help get your through the weekend. You can also follow Lent Madness on Twitter.
- Whip up some Saintly Sprinkles. Most Saturdays in Lent, the Lent Madness Resident Foodie, Maria Nolletti Ross, shares one of her recipes (as seen in the Saintly Scorecard!). Today, she shares a recipe for Christina Rossetti-inspired berry jam scones.
- Talk about saints with your friends. Find a like-minded group of folks who are playing along with Lent Madness and debate the merits of two saints who will soon square off in this year’s Saintly Smackdown.
- Cyber stalk your favorite Celebrity Blogger. Most of our Celebrity Bloggers have books or blogs or church website or articles online. There is no lack of internet-based info on these fabulous writers.
- Google saints for inclusion in next year’s bracket. While the SEC is, well, supreme we do accept nominations during Eastertide for saints to be included in future brackets. Who knows? You may be the catalyst for getting some saintly soul into Lent Madness 2017.
- Buy a Lent Madness Mug. Why? So you have a chance to win the large cardboard cutout of St. Francis of Assisi by posting a (hopefully creative) picture with your “Mug Shot” on social media and double hash tagging it #LentMadness #MugShot. Buy them here.
- Dress up like your favorite saint. You don’t have to wait until Halloween to dress up like, say, vanquished patron saint of coffee, Drogo, and go to your local coffee shop.
- Nap for 48 hours. If you truly can’t face an entire weekend without Lent Madness, take a page out of the
bear playbook and hibernate. Surely your spouse, children, co-workers, etc, won’t mind. - Go to church. Worship is a great way to not only be inspired and be drawn ever-closer to the heart of Jesus but it also kills an hour so you’re that much closer to Monday morning.
And don’t forget! Lent Madness resumes at 8:00 am EST on Monday morning as Columba takes on Kateri Tekakwitha.
And talk about wins and looses these past few days.
LMW is a very real diagnosis.
Best to you all.
Don’t panic indeed. I have my towel right at hand. Purple of course.
Between Coffee, communicating, the church service and the drive home. I can manage to use up 2 hours.
Mind readers! I’ve been slogging along all morning having LM withdrawal agonies….thanks for the coping mechanisms, SEC.
Hugs!
Well, I’m off to my Saturday Writing Group and that’s kept my mind off LENT MADNESS since I only wrote the paper yesterday and suffered sending it to the moderator to make a packet containing everybody’s papers that he will read in a neutral voice. I wrote about Pauli Murray and I KNOW the SEC knows who she is/was. You do…..don’t you guys? Bloggers, hop to it!!!
Look, I haven’t had a drink in eleven days (but whose, counting right?) nor chocolate, nor cookies, nor cake nor ice cream AND, stone cold sober, this afternoon I’ve agreed to play the part of Gertrude Stein reading a love poem to Alice B. Toklas. In a festival. In Texas. I’m desperate! Why are you people, supreme or not, so unreliable? And “thanks” for the suggestion on killing on hour or two. See ya in church.
You KNOW me so well!!
This is my first year so my first, LMW!!and you described Ty morning EXACTLY! ❤️
And it’s my birthday!
Birthday blessings!
Thank you for the great suggestions. As soon as I finish my 73% dark Chocolove bar and this bag of Ruffles, I will consider doing some of them!
with love and gratitude,
E.R.
Well la-di-dah! Enjoy that chocolate.
Thanks, Laurie, you’ve given me a good laugh today! That really helps with LMW.
Next year I propose you put the OTHER Gertrude (as in the patron saint of cats) up against a rock. (You know, rocks are patient and good listeners, surely they deserve sainthood?) Don’t worry, I’ll remind you during Eastertide. Without any saintly match ups this weekend I have lots of time to mope and nurse my wounds, not having a dog to come lick them, like Roch had. Extreme LMW.
Absolutely love your graphic designer on the LMW logo. I could immediately see the M and the W. When I saw the L, I went, “Oh how clever!” Blessings to all.
I ordered Lent Madness T-shirts for me and my cat (I ordered adult small for him and then planning to shrink it), read today’s Forward Day by Day, and thought about ordering a couple new charms for my saint bracelet: that’s how I dealt with the first weekend this year of LMW.
No prescription medications will work to treat this condition. Just use non-prescription drugs, like caffeine. chocolate, tea-any of the methylxanthines. And pray really hard for Monday to come quickly. Only one more day after this one. Just remember how hard it was to wait A WHOLE YEAR for this Lent Event. That should help.
ohhhhh Please vote for Kateri Tekakwitha. There is a small church in Michigan’ Upper Peninsula, right on Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Bay. All the members of the Ojibway tribe there will be thrilled if she makes it through to the next round… and so will I!
I attended a diocesan convention today, my first. When it ended I stepped out the door into the most beautiful weather we’ve had in months. Is this some kind of a sign? The coolest thing that happened was this: as I stood in the nave with everyone else, the sun found its way through a red pane in the stained glass window bathing my face in a bright warm glow that seems to have erased months of seasonal affective disorder trauma. A good day. Truly a blessed day. And I got to cast votes. It was pleasing.
You are forcing me to clean my study. Old stuff is slowly but surely disappearing. It is wonderful to once again begin to see the floor!!!
Guess I’ll go eat worms.
From someone who knows, put the worms in oatmeal for a couple of days. They eat the oatmeal which causes the dirt they normally eat to pass through. Not nearly as gritty that way. Bon appetite!
This has put me off oatmeal for the next several days. ;-}
I miss the fun! By the way are you guys
related in any way? You could pass as
brothers!
The shrine of Kateri Tekakwitha is located along the north side of the Mohawk River in the Diocese of Albany, just to the west of Amsterdam, New York. It is a humble place with a small wooden chapel befitting her life. Worth getting off the New York State Thruway (at Exit 28: Fultonville- Fonda) and driving New York State Route 5 to visit it.
St. Denis is visiting our church at both services tomorrow, carrying his head!
Oh! That’s why I’ve been feeling so out of sorts!
Thank you! I used to do this but have forgotten about it.
Wendy,
When you say “I used to do this, but have forgotten about it”, do you mean doing Lent Madness? If so, welcome back.
Yes, Lent Madness. I apologize for not being more specific.
Joy and laughter seem to abound! Just learned of Lent madness this morning from a visiting priest. Didn’t know Lent could be so much fun!! Will seriously consider saints tomorrow morning.
Chris
Chris,
Joy and laughter does abound! Welcome.
Slowly the second advance and the minute happen, Eons occur and the hours progress. How long must I wait for this event to happen. What temptations must I endure. Even my purple cup of coffee is not soothing my shattered nerves and expectations. Why, Oh Why .