In addition to not eating any bread during Lent, I am going to try to fast from worry.
On the Fridays of Lent, when I am abstaining from meat, I will do my best to “abstain” from worrying about the one thing that worries me most on that day. That one thing that I am worrying about most or that worries me most on that Friday – I will abstain from that one big worry, while I am abstaining from meat. I am just not going to worry about it, just as I am not going to eat goetta or a hamburger. No meat and no worry on Fridays.
On every other Lenten day, I am going to try to “fast” from worry. In a playful spirit, following the customary guidelines for fasting from food, I will allow myself to worry once a day for a reasonable amount of time, and then to worry for two other shorter periods of time which together will not equal that one, main reasonable amount of time – and, of course, there will be no snacking on worry in between.
This may sound silly, unless you have a tendency to worry like I do, which takes a lot of trust out of life as well as a lot of joy and enjoyment. Maybe I’ll be able to give the worry to God, and be done with it. Maybe I’ll just wind up putting it aside until Easter, when I’ll gorge myself on worry, after fasting from worry for so long. We’ll see.
In any case, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) was quite the day: I worried all day long about as many things as I could think to worry about, hoping that beginning today, Ash Wednesday, God does something new with me.
With Open Doors 
Hi Father Rob:
I stumbled across your blog and found your Ash Wednesday post amusing as I too am trying to give up worrying (as well as cholcolate) for Lent. If you’re interested, you can read about my Lenten plans here. (http://thestillspot.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/reflect-repent…t-starts-today/)
Good luck with the journey!
I wish that God would do something with me and my worries, yes worries. They are particularly draining on the body, mind and spirit. For every two steps forward that I think I am making, there are three steps backwards in making peace with myself. I guess I am asking that I not just rotely regurgitate the serenity prayer, but allow the serenity to fill my body.
I subscirbed to the Loyola site you have listed and have the 3 minute retreat emailed to me daily. What I would like to do is end my day with that 3 minutes. Maybe it will help me to “stop my mind” and the stories, planning, worry, conversations, going over tomorrows list one more time so I don’t forget anything and take that slow deep breath.
Carol,
Before you go to sleep hand all your worries to Mary. Then ask her to wrap her mantle around you. As you sleep, she will give your worries to her Son. God will take care of everything….just trust in Him and His infinite love for you! And know without a doubt God will work everything out for the good of you! It’s freeing! Let go and let God!
Mary is the secret…Jesus always says “yes” to his mother.
God bless you!