Lent: A Time to Repent

Rosemary Bogdan considers how we can grow this Lent through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

We are almost to Lent! (And, yes, I believe I will have all my Christmas decorations finally put away before Ash Wednesday. Cutting it close.)

The three-fold focus of Prayer, Almsgiving, and Fasting immediately come to mind, do they not? Lent is a time for repentance and preparation for the holiest time of the year, Easter.

Remember, man, that you are dust. I remember. Repent and believe in the Gospel. We do. But we can always grow in our faith and in our ability to seek holiness. Let’s look at those three pillars again and think about how we might avail ourselves of these wonderful opportunities to grow this Lent.

Fasting

Here is the minimum: 18-59 year olds must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. (One full meal and two smaller ones that do not equal the full meal.) And everyone over 14 years old must abstain from meat on all Fridays in Lent. OK. We can do that, right? But how might we do more.

Sure, we can give up candy or sweets or some other favorite food. And that might indeed be a great sacrifice. I read of a saint once who always left the last bite of food on his plate as an offering to the Lord. This is harder than you might think. If you’re really enjoying something, as I do, you may really want that last bite. As I hesitate, I remind myself that the last bite is a very, very small offering to the God who has done so much for me.

But what else might we give up that would help us in our walk with the Lord? How about a limitation of social media or perhaps giving it up all together? Or maybe we could limit social media to only hours before noon, for example. Perhaps only access social media after a personal prayer time is complete. Maybe we could give up television or some other activity considered a special treat. However we fast let’s think about how this sacrifice will help us in our walk with the Lord. Will it help us detach from things. Will it help us to let go of self-indulgence or to focus more on our duties? Whatever it is, will it help us to focus more on God?

Almsgiving

As for almsgiving, let’s remember that we can give of our money and possessions, but also of our time and talent. A family activity might include putting spare change in a cup to give to the poor. Or children could help return bottles in order to give the money to a charity of their choice. Perhaps volunteer at a soup kitchen or some other organization that serves the poor.

Consider all the items you have in your house that are really not necessary. Ask yourself: do I have clothes that I’m keeping just because I might wear them someday? Someone once told me that if a whole year has gone by and you did not wear something you are probably not ever going to wear it. These items could be given to someone who really needs them. Salvation Army and Saint Vincent de Paul shops would probably welcome these donations.

When there are people in need (and there always are) we should guard against keeping things we are not using. And as we give them away, perhaps say a prayer for the person who will use them next.

Prayer

Busy moms often find it very difficult to get in a dedicated prayer time. Maybe we could add short aspirations throughout our day. Examples might be: “Jesus, Mary, I love you. Save souls.” Or “Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy Name.” “Jesus, I trust in you. “ “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” You can also, of course, make up your own. When dealing with a difficult situation with a child, consider calling on the child’s patron saint. “Saint______, please intercede.” Then call on your own patrons, especially the Blessed Mother, to intercede for you.

Remember that studying Scripture is also prayer. Why not try to memorize one short sentence or phrase a day? Perhaps put a note on your mirror as a reminder.

Many consider the Rosary to be one of the most powerful prayers after the Mass. Do you find the Rosary unappealing? Does the thought of saying 53 Hail Marys and 6 Our Fathers seem a little daunting? I am quite sure that people do not become devoted to the Rosary because they first found that idea appealing. We come to love the Rosary from the grace and the peace and the blessings it imparts. I urge you to try it if you are not already praying it.

The family Rosary is a wonderful tradition. If it’s too hard to find the time in the day try praying it in the car. Most families spend quite a bit of time in the car. And if you can find ten minutes in the evening to fit in a decade or two, it is well worth it. My experience has been that children who resist at first soon come to appreciate the soothing grace and peace Our Lady brings.

If you don’t already do so, consider signing up for an Adoration hour. There is just nothing like sitting in the presence, the REAL PPRESENCE, of Jesus in the Eucharist. There you can spill out your pains and your challenges. He knows all of them. He knows your sorrow, your disappointments, your suffering. He knows. And he is just waiting for you to come to his feet. The comfort, the grace, the peace is indescribable.

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We can always grow in our faith and in our ability to seek holiness. #catholicmom

May we all have a blessed Lent, one that will move our hearts minds and souls closer to God and to his purposes for our lives.

Have you planned how you will use this Lent to overcome spiritual obstacles, and to become more of the person the Lord wants you to be?

Copyright 2022 Rosemary Bogdan
Image copyright 2022 Rosemary Bogdan, all rights reserved.