Choosing a Lenten Observance

Sherry Hayes-Peirce discusses several ways to observe the season of Lent. How will you and your family keep this season holy?

As you read this article, I will be at the 70th Annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. This event attracts tens of thousands of Catholics from around the world. It happens in Anaheim, California, home to Disneyland, which is also celebrating its 70th anniversary.

I can still remember my first trip to RECongress as a teenager and attending the most beautiful Mass from the Diocese of Honolulu. The procession was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and the Hawaiian chant called “Mele” was soul-stirring. It opened my mind to the meaning of belonging to a universal Church. In fact, the state of Hawaii will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Catholicism's arrival in the islands in 2027.

This year, RECongress coincides with the beginning of the Lenten season, creating sacred opportunities for me to enter into this holy time. Each year, a sacred space draws people into prayer, veneration of relics, walking a labyrinth, and Adoration. This year, the relics of Carlo Acutis will be featured. On the first Friday of Lent, there will be morning and evening Mass, opportunities for Confession, and solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and benediction. I look forward to receiving many graces from participating in the Catholic prayer experiences offered at RECongress.

Participate in Parish Traditions

While Ash Wednesday begins the journey to Easter Sunday, most parishes officially adopt a schedule of communal gatherings on Fridays throughout Lent. These gatherings usually offer Stations of the Cross, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and simple, meatless Lenten dinners. Lent is a wonderful time for parishioners of all generations to gather in communion and honor the unique traditions of their parishes.

Read All About It

Of course, the most essential part of the journey is discerning how to draw closer to God and lean into Jesus's model through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. As I age, my mode of prayer has shifted. Last year, when a request was made to review the book 40 Days, 40 Ways to Pray I signed up, received the book, and found it extraordinary in its exploration of Catholic prayer practices. The book offers an opportunity after each chapter to complete an action step that helps you grow your faith through the prayer practice it explores.

Don’t Go Offline for Lent; Lean Into Digital Discipleship

Many online options are being developed just for Lent to draw you into prayerful practices as you journey through the season. Many people say they give up social media for Lent, but some of the pages you follow have crafted posts that can be powerful in sharing messages to spark reflection.

I signed up for the #Pray40 Challenge on Hallow and have participated since it began in 2019. Last year, I had a revelation through the challenge. The challenge includes “Fast Fridays,” and the first one of the season was to fast from noise. It was so transformative that I carved out a fast from watching TV from midnight to noon for the entire Lenten season and have been doing so at least three times a week since it ended. One suggestion: Unfollow 40 people who don’t bring joy to your social media feed.

Make A Forty-Day Commitment

Doing something, or making a 40-day sacrifice, that takes time away from you growing in faith. For decades, the Catholic tradition of “giving up” something for Lent didn’t grow my faith; it left me counting down the days until I could indulge in whatever I gave up. As I’ve matured in faith, committing to do something rather than giving something up has deepened it.

One year, I unfollowed a social media page every day, and by the end of Lent, my feed was all inspirational. Another year, I went to Adoration Monday through Friday. Another year, I prayed the Rosary every day. In other years, I’ve attended Mass Sunday through Friday.

Try a Weekly Retreat or Pilgrimage

During the Lenten season, choosing to go on retreat can be very powerful. Many retreat houses and parishes sponsor Lenten retreats. Find an option that works for your schedule. If there is a local shrine to visit, this could be an opportunity to spend time invoking intercessory prayer from a beloved saint.

Pope Leo XIV has issued a decree granting the faithful a plenary indulgence during the Year of Saint Francis, celebrated on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the death of the Saint of Assisi. The life of the Poor Man of Assisi shows that God’s mercy works in history also through people who have opened their hearts to His action. Making a pilgrimage to a church bearing the name of Saint Francis is an awesome way to journey through the season.

Whatever you choose to do, know that God is with you — and like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, if your focus is on Him your heart will burn within you this Lent. Have a blessed Lent.

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Copyright 2026 Sherry Hayes-Peirce
Images: (top, bottom) Canva; (center) copyright 2026 Sherry Hayes-Peirce, all rights reserved.