 CatholicMom.com
Lent Resources
Lenten Resources from the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Complete
Directory of Lent and Easter Products at The Catholic Company
Embracing
the Lenten Season as a Family
An Interview with Catholic Author Meredith Gould
By Lisa M. Hendey
One of my most respected spiritual mentors once recounted to me her
first experience of choosing not to “do” Lent – she was a student,
away from home and the strongly enforced parental supervision of Lenten
sacrifices and rituals for the first time. Feeling that she had evolved
spiritually to the point that it was no longer necessary for her to
“give something up” for Lent, she let the liturgical season pass her
by with little notice. To this day, she recalls the sense of true
loss she felt when Easter Sunday arrived and she recognized her lack
of spiritual preparation for the moment of celebrating Christ’s resurrection.
From that experience, she went on to become a major proponent of Lenten
observances and a witness to those around her of the significance
and benefit of Lenten fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
Catholic families have a unique and precious opportunity to share
with their growing (and grown!) children the beauty and importance
of the Lenten Season. By instilling in our children a sense of love
and anticipation during Lent, we can overcome any negative stereotypes
they may have related to the sacrificial nature of this time of the
year. I recently had the occasion to consult with Meredith Gould,
author of The Catholic Home and the newly released Come
to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder for Holy Week
and sought out her expertise on embracing the Lenten season with our
families.
Q: How can we, as parents, share the season
of Lent with our children without making them feel that it’s something
punitive?
 A:
Like everything else on our liturgical calendar, Lent offers abundant
opportunities for catechesis. I say let’s start by explaining the
difference between penance and punishment. I think it makes sense
to do this by discussing the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.
First, remember to note that this is a sacrament of healing. Then,
consider that this sacrament is as much about consciousness as it
is about God’s mercy. After all, we have to become aware of the ways
we’ve become disconnected before we can fully return to God’ embrace—even
though the arms of God are always open to embrace us. Awareness requires
willingness and focus.
So what does this have to do with Lent?
Like Advent, Lent is a penitential season during which we have yet
another opportunity to check our spiritual fitness. During Advent,
we recall watchful waiting for the birth of Jesus. During Lent, we
contemplate his sacrifice before celebrating his resurrection. Both
birth and resurrection are joyous events. How about encouraging children
to view all Lenten activities as ways to watch and wait with joyful
hope?
Q: What family traditions do your family
share during the season of Lent?
A: My family of origin is Jewish! While everyone else was observing
Lent, we were preparing for Passover, the holiday celebrating God’s
liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egyptian bondage. (Read
all about it in Exodus! Also in Acts of the Apostles 7:17-36).
The meaning and significance of Passover has changed for me since
my baptism. I now view celebrating a Passover seder an essential activity
for Catholics! In 1998, I started creating a Passover seder service
to help Catholics more fully understand how the Last Supper was a
Last Seder. Come
to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder for Holy Week
is now available (www.plowsharepublishing.com). I’m hoping more Catholics
will pay closer attention to Passover, especially on Holy Thursday.
I also have a church family with whom I pray Stations of the Cross
on Fridays. At home, I keep a journal focused on the ways I’ve been
inspired by Lenten practices. On Palm Sunday, I follow the Eastern
European practice of decorating with pussy willow branches instead
of palm fronds. After Palm Sunday, I start messing around with decorative
Easter eggs. I prefer découpage! I also start setting out my growing
collection of lamb paraphernalia.
Q: How can families reinforce the concept
of almsgiving during Lent with young children?
A: Although social justice is a core Catholic value, parishes tend
to ramp up social service activities during Lent. Why? Because charitable
activities are a suitable substitute when penance cannot be fulfilled
through fasting and abstinence. This is a perfect way to involve younger
children.
I’m a big advocate of having parents participate in service and justice
activities along with their children. Being able to discuss observations
and feelings in real time is always more powerful than asking, “How
was your visit to the poor people?”
With regard to almsgiving, I suggest parents teach it and good stewardship
by asking children to set aside a portion of their allowance for a
charity the kids choose. Lent is a great time to either start or enhance
this practice with a parental matching fund.
Q: How would you suggest that families emphasize
prayer and spirituality during Lent?
A: We’re fortunate to have many beautiful and deeply moving prayer
practices during Lent: Stations of the Cross on Fridays; and the foot-washing
and Veneration of the Cross ceremonies during the Triduum come immediately
to mind.
Praying and discussing the Sorrowful Mysteries is certainly one practice
families can observe together. Creating table graces that reinforce
the lessons of Lent (e.g., love and sacrifice) before and after meals
is another.
I’m also a big advocate of providing sensory cues for sacred activities.
Something as simple as using purple placemats or playing any of the
classic requiem Masses would help create a Lenten atmosphere in the
domestic church.
Q: For young children and those who are physically
unable to observe Lenten fasts and abstinence, how can parents teach
the concept of fasting or sacrifice?
A: Since your children will (hopefully) notice what adults are doing
(or not) during Lent, you’ll need to create opportunities to discuss
these practices. See if you can instill a respect, if not reverence,
for the way sacrifice sharpens perceptions on all levels—physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Explore with them the nuances of “giving something up” for Lent. What
does this mean to your children? When have they experienced sacrifice?
How did that feel? Ask your kids what they might consider setting
aside during Lent as a way to think about the great sacrifice Jesus
made for us. Try not to laugh out loud if a bedraggled blankie is
offered up.
Q: Are there any other thoughts you’d like
to share on this topic?
A: How much time and space do you have?!? Even though I’ve been a
Christian for many years, I still find myself engaged in a lot of
“simultaneous translation” during Catholic rites and rituals.
During Lent, more than any other time of the year, I’m keenly aware
of Jesus’ Judaism. I’m fascinated by the way Hebrew scripture and
Jewish practice permeated everything Jesus did and said.
During Lent and Easter, the Jewish roots of the Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism,
Eucharist, Confirmation—come especially visible to me. My prayer is
that my work helps other Catholics understand and embrace our Jewish
heritage—during Lent and throughout the year.
Meredith Gould, Ph.D., is the author of The Catholic Home: Celebrations
and Traditions Feast Days (Doubleday). She’s a columnist for Faith
& Family Magazine and www.godpsy.com
Her newest book, Come
to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder for Holy Week
(Plowshares Publishing) is available via www.plowsharespublishing.com
or by visiting
Amazon. Visit her at
www.meredithgould.com
|
CatholicMom.com
Recommends:
Come to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder for Holy Week
The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays,
Feast Days, and Every Day
Read our complete
profile on this book |
