Busted Bracket

Amanda Lauer makes an unexpected connection between Lenten goals and college basketball.  

As odd as this may sound, I actually enjoy Lent. There’s just something about challenging myself to do something and/or give up something for 40 days that appeals to my competitive nature. While most people are writing their New Year’s Resolutions, I’m compiling ideas for the three pillars of Lent — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — that will be ideal for the upcoming Lenten season.   

The NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament fell during the middle of Lent this year, and, by chance, as I looked over my picks, there was a correlation between my hopes to create the perfect bracket and my hopes of creating the perfect Lent.  

How It Started 

I went into both endeavors with high expectations. This is the first Lent that my husband and I are retired. That being the case, I really wanted to up my Lenten game. For prayer, my intention was to go to daily Mass, something I’d done successfully a previous year. Since Ash Wednesday was later this year, I figured the weather wouldn’t be as much of a factor as it normally would be, and I wouldn’t be fighting blizzard-like conditions to get to church.   

Next on that list was reading the book To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons, recommended to me by Father Michael Lightner. At 970 pages, that was only 25 pages a day to finish by Good Friday. Definitely doable. There were two Lenten classes being offered at our parish that we wanted to sign up for and weekly Stations of the Cross on the list.   

For fasting, I decided to fast from playing the seven games on my phone with which I start off each day (note: they are educational and keep my mind sharp; it’s not like I’m playing Candy Crush Saga), and I would refrain from looking at the political headlines from the two social media apps that I follow.   

When it comes to almsgiving, my husband John and I have been tithing for years, and we’ve continued to do that in retirement. So, I decided to give more of my time, including taking a daily walk at least around the block with John, and spending more quality time with my parents.  

Every year our daughter Samantha organizes a Men’s NCAA Tournament pool for our family. The winner gets bragging rights for a year, so I put some effort into making my picks. I spent a good 20 minutes checking out the experts’ picks and copying them — make that, letting them guide me in my choices. We had 12 participants this year ranging in age from 1 to 63. How our 17-month-old grandson made his picks is beyond me, but at least I was ahead of him for most of the tournament.  

How It's Going 

What’s that they say about the best laid plans of mice and men? Well, before Lent even started, my dad had a fall and was hospitalized and sent to rehab for three weeks, and my stepmom underwent a surgery that didn’t turn out well. After two months in the hospital and rehab facility, she passed away in early March.   

Lent arrived and I barely made it to the Ash Wednesday service. For two months John and I had been driving back and forth between the hospital, rehab center, and the assisted living facility where my mom — who is under long-term hospice care for Alzheimer’s dementia — lives. When we weren’t at one of those places, we were home recuperating from all the various illnesses we picked up from the care centers (Influenza A, and some 48-hour bug that is best left undescribed).   

That ended any thoughts of going to daily Mass. I couldn’t even make it to Sunday Mass some weeks. I got one whole chapter read of the book I’d started. That walk around the block? I’d forgotten that I’m a fair-weather fan when it comes to doing anything outdoors. Give me 50 degrees and sunny, and I’m all in. Anything less than that and I’m snuggled under the sherpa blanket on our couch drinking hot chocolate. (At least I didn’t attempt to give up sugar this Lent …)  

Surprisingly, the fasting portion of Lent is going well. I haven’t played one game on my phone (even on Sundays), and I haven’t looked at one notification on my phone (1.7k at last count). Any news happen while I was gone? I’ll find out soon enough. And, as far as spending more time with my parents? Nailed that. I spent countless hours with each of them since the year started, and it doesn’t look like that will be letting up any time soon. 

As far as the NCAA tournament? St. John’s and Marquette, you’re killing me, Smalls. I’m a sucker for Catholic college basketball teams. But, miracle of miracles, my pick (Florida) won the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. As for my Lenten brackets? There’s always next year. 

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Copyright 2025 Amanda Lauer
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