Battling Attachments for Lent

Saying goodbye to a pair of pretty shoes helped Hillary Ibarra face unhealthy attachments.

I just returned a pair of beautiful shoes that I loved. I bought two pairs on clearance, the same style but in different colors. I wanted to keep both pairs, but did I need two more pairs of impractical heels? No, and there were better places for that money to go.

As I contemplated returning those heels, I understood the young man who felt sad when called by Jesus to give away his wealth and follow Christ. How would I feel, I wondered, if Jesus said, “Hillary, give up pretty clothes, fancy shoes, and beautiful jewelry—all of it—and follow Me more fully!” How strangely powerful our attachments to unnecessary material things can be! To things that cannot love back but fetter us—the riches of this world.

When I recognized my illogical and unprofitable attachment to a pair of camo-printed high-heeled shoes and faced my extreme reluctance to let them go, I decided I must return them. Out of love for Jesus. To show that a pair of shoes would not be one of many temptations to subtly but continually pull me away from Him.

women's suede shoes on display in a store

Because, trust me, I see how my love of pretty things, of lesser goods, might become obsessive, distracting me from considering the welfare of others and contemplating God Who is the Greatest Good. For instance, I remember sitting up late one night scanning my favorite store’s website for clothes before their sale expired at midnight, and I also remember how God spoke to me quietly but effectively as I bent over my computer with sore eyes, helping me realize how silly was my pursuit of the next exciting piece for my wardrobe.

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What are our go-to distractions that keep us from seeking His face and His mercy? #catholicmom

Those pretty and unnecessary shoes remind me of the spiritual reset we partake in during Lent.

There are things I can only do well, there are certain foods or other pleasures that I can only sacrifice, if I do it out of love for Jesus. And this is part of Lent, I believe. What binds us, harmless as it may seem, and prevents us from being committed to our faith? What pulls us away from Christ with immoderation? What are our go-to distractions that keep us from seeking His face and His mercy? Lent is the time for us to confront these obstacles, to realign our faith life, to pray that God will pull us away from the world’s pleasurable but petty and transient things and draw us toward Him, so that nothing blocks us from pursuing His will for us and for our families.

worn hiking shoes

In the desert of Lent, as we pray, fast, and give alms, we confront our worldly desires and the state of our own hearts, and we seek the Heart of the One Who loves us and asks us to follow Him faithfully in whatever footwear we have available. The only pair of shoes we need for this journey is a symbolic but sturdy and well-worn pair that keeps us on the right road beside Jesus.