Hello Lent... Hello Veganism

The Eastern Orthodox season of Lent has started today, and it comes time again for me to rethink my life. I have done little to prepare (as in the previous post, I outlined my own personal "Mardi Gras" of sorts), but I am hitting it today with a vengeance. Lent works a little differently in my Church, in the sense that you don't give something up in particular as much as devoting yourself to prayer and fasting in general. The fast guidelines are pretty strict, banning all meat and dairy products, as well as wine and olive oil on most days. I suppose that any of us who don't live in a monastery cheat a little bit, but we make a good effort.

I brought a bowl of brown rice to school for lunch and was amazed at how satisfied I was after the meal. Rice is quite filling, and since it's tasteless by itself, you tend to eat more slowly and be satisfied by the time you finish eating. Tonight, I'm cooking a marinara sauce and am looking forward to my vegan spaghetti supper. Although I didn't grow up in a church that celebrated Lent, I am realizing again what a celebratory season it is. By saying "no" to animal products, I am also finding it easier to say "no" to whatever frivolous urges I may encounter. I can feel myself returning to the exalted state of life before we all became carnivorious sinners... or at least starting on the journey to that point.