Penitent

Lent starts today - I was at 8 am ashing service (attended by 5 people, it really speeds the service up). I am giving up ranting and swearing. I've tried the former before and it ended up being very expensive - I think I racked up 40 rants at a pound a pop, including at least two for ranting about how others were not rants, but there were definitely times when I ranted safe in the knowledge that the money would be paid. This time, penalties are harsher to stop me doing that. So, here formal definitions and terms of my lent:

• No ranting. Defined a continuous verbal argument involving high emotion and probably shouting. I am allowed to express hostile opinions - Buddhism is still nonsense - but not in a violent manner. £5 penalty
• No Swearing. I stress, the ban is on obscenity, not blasphemy or offense. I've found this brilliant report about swearing but it does confuse things. Broadly, I'll follow that list though without 12, 23, 25 and 28 in context, while 11 isn't remotely offensive. £1 a word
• Monies to a charity nominated by Anna after Easter
• And I'm also going to read all the epistles. Three a week gets me there I think.

As an aside, I do increasingly find the Ash Wednesday service bizarre. Ashes are imposed on one's forehead as a mark of penitence, which all seems fine, but then we are enjoined to go forth with this black splodge on our faces, having just heard a reading Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21, where we are told Jesus says:

Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them...
So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you...
Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret...
And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites.

So I wipe it off. I think it's probably best.