Just something I saw on "The Catholic Ladies Home Journal": Aleteia

The Comte de Reynaud

The village mayor in the film Chocolat.

Katrina Fernandez has some suggestions to help make what's left of Lent feel fruitful ...

I love Kat and her advice column is well written.  Her latest post here is encouraging for anyone who feels they've 'failed' at Lent.  Failing at Lent really only happens when one fails to repent - or maybe fails to deepen their conversion and love of God ... but that's not what Catholics emphasize so much.  It's more about what you do, or did, gritting your teeth, and making it to Easter to pick up your Easter basket.  Like Christmas - you expect something in return for not eating chocolate.  What?

Seriously, the ideas Kat shares are wonderful, and the experts she links to on Aleteia offer a variety of suggestions for a fruitful Lent.  I was struck by the 'entertainment' possibilities that were suggested - to get a 'penitent' in the mood.  I had to leave my own suggestion ... the 2000 film Chocolat.  Pretty much on how not to do Lent... unless it ends in failure, as in the case of the Comte de Reynaud.  

Reynaud, played by Alfred Molina, is the the stern, traditionalist mayor of a very traditional French village which never let go of its Jansenist yoke.  Reynaud's wife has left him and he leads a very strict life.  Devout, pious, and impeccably observant, he is appalled a non-believer arrives in the quaint village and opens an exotic chocolatierie at the beginning of Lent.  (Because we all give up chocolate, of course.)  Reynaud denounces everything about it and those who are seduced by the charms of the mysterious woman who operates the shop. 

Reynaud's character reminds me of some Catholics online - you know, those feisty Catholic social media personalities who accuse and condemn all the heretics and leftist-neo-whatevers.  Similarly, the mayor meddles in the moral life of townsfolk, he proof reads the young priest's sermons, and instructs him on how and what to preach.  Convinced of his own self-righteousness, he pretty much looks down upon everyone else.  His words against the moral decay he fears will overtake the village even incites a man to arson - to burn out the 'heretics', as it were, because the poor man thought he would gain favor with the mayor that way.  Reynaud sends him into exile from the village, lest he himself be discovered to have had any influence in his act. 

Overcome with zeal, Reynaud seeks to 'cleanse' the village of the 'witchy' woman who opened the shop, and opened the hearts of the villagers.  One dark night, he attempts to destroy the shop, and accidentally tastes the magical confection  specially the scenes of the very rigid, yet devout Jansenist Mayor who observes Lent impeccably until one night, no longer able to suppress his passions, he devours the chocolatier's display window.  I think of it now as a sort of Pope Francis type of admonition.of Mme. Rocher.  He is seduced, and his passions overtake him, and he is found the next morning, asleep in the shop window, chocolate covering his face ...  his Lenten observance failed, Easter Mass soon to begin, he was ashamed, humiliated, and, so it seems to me, finally able to repent.the very rigid, yet devout Jansenist Mayor who observes Lent impeccably until one night, no longer able to suppress his passions, he devours the chocolatier's display window.  I think of it now as a sort of Pope Francis type of admonition.  

Lent isn't about what we give up, or how good we are at keeping the laws we make for ourselves, or even about how many devotions we perform or attend.  It's actually good to fail.  In the last weeks of our Lord's life, Passion Week/Holy Week, all of the disciples failed - they abandoned our Lord.

Song for this post here.

the very rigid, yet devout Jansenist Mayor who observes Lent impeccably until one night, no longer able to suppress his passions, he devours the chocolatier's display window.  I think of it now as a sort of Pope Francis type of admonition. 

the very rigid, yet devout Jansenist Mayor who observes Lent impeccably until one night, no longer able to suppress his passions, he devours the chocolatier's display window.  I think of it now as a sort of Pope Francis type of admonition.