March 2, 2025
This week, we will begin our annual observance of Lent. We will celebrate the last few days before Lent through carnival (Latin=putting away the flesh) feasts such as our Mardi Gras celebration and Fat Tuesday (Pączki Day!). Beginning on Ash Wednesday, we begin our journey toward the celebration of the Easter Mysteries. The Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar states that “Lent is ordered to preparing for the celebration of Easter, since the Lenten liturgy prepares for celebration of the Paschal Mystery both catechumens…and the faithful, who recall their own Baptism, do penance.” In the Order of the Christian Initiation of Adults, the season of Lent is referred to as the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. Lent is a special time for us to pray and do penance in solidarity with those preparing for baptism and those preparing to be received into the full communion in the Catholic Church this Easter.
During the season of Lent, we perform the ancient spiritual practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in a focused and intentional way. We do some of these practices together: such as the prescribed fasts on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent, praying the Stations of the Cross on Friday afternoons, and donating to the Rice Bowl and the summer Food Truck. We each also choose ways to pray, fast, and give that will personally benefit us in our discipleship.
As you are deciding how you personally will participate in the Season of Lent, I would like to suggest that you choose ways of praying, fasting, and almsgiving that deepen our communion with God and solidarity with all people, especially those who are poor, sick, and in need of our compassionate care. Sometimes, Lent practices can become merely ways to test our willpower (“giving up” sugar, alcohol, caffeine, etc.). The ultimate purpose of our lives is to “live in communion with God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 45) and every one of our neighbors in love (John 13:34, 1 John 4:7–21). Our spiritual practices should aim at building up that relationship of communion, solidarity, and love by weeding out the sinful selfishness that puts a barrier to that communion.
Some practices to consider:
Prayer that seeks to deepen our relationship with Jesus and other people. Set aside a few minutes (10–15) each day to read the Bible readings from each day’s Mass, along with the mediation in our Living the Eucharist daily devotional From Exodus to Easter. The daily bible readings can be found at www.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading. Daily household prayer is also a way to grow together in holiness. Set aside 10 minutes to gather the household: offer up your prayer intentions, each person can share something for which you are thankful to God that day and pray the Lord’s prayer together.
Fasting that deepens our communion with God and solidarity with our neighbors. Traditionally, fasting has involved forgoing food and/or drink (or at least certain kinds of food or drink). This kind of fasting can still be quite powerful spiritually. However, to keep it from simply becoming a “diet” we can choose to use our hunger and thirst to remind us of our dependence of God to sustain our lives and to unite us in compassion for those who are literally dying of hunger and thirst each day, not of their own choosing (25,000 people a day worldwide). For many of us, perhaps a fasting of time and attention might bring about a spiritual yield. Fasting from our phones, other screens, and/or social media might free up time and attention for our spouses, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends. Time that we save from a “screen fast” could be used for volunteer service in the community, calling someone to catch up, or for mailing small notes of gratefulness and appreciation.
Almsgiving that brings us closer to the heart of God and gives life to our sisters and brothers in dire need. The giving of alms does assist those in need, but it also enlarges our hearts and helps us to overcome the selfishness at the root of our sin and woundedness. Jesus held nothing back for our redemption. Stripped of everything, Jesus gave everything out of compassion for us (Philippians 2:5–11). Our open hands break open our hearts, deepening our likeness to our compassionate Lord and Savior. This year especially, I would like to encourage everyone to be as generous as they can with the Operation Rice Bowl and Catholic Relief Services collections. Catholic Relief Services does not simply give hand outs of food, clothes, etc., (they surely do these vital things) but they also provide for children’s education, business training and microloans, and other services so that people can learn to support themselves and their communities throughout the world. As you may have seen on the news, United States government funding and grants have been frozen to faith-based groups like CRS, making their outreach precarious. This year more than ever, we need to step up to make sure their Pro-Life work can continue to reach as many people as possible. Please go to their website to see all the good work around the world that is supported by our almsgiving.
Finally, our relationship of love and unity with God and neighbor is celebrated and deepened each time that we gather to celebrate Eucharist. The primary way that we can fruitfully observe Lent is through regular participation in the Mass. Make the commitment to be here every Saturday night or Sunday morning. Consider attending and participating in the Mass on a weekday. Sign up for a Living the Eucharist small group to help your relationship with Jesus and the entire Body of Christ grow through the Eucharist. At Mass, we are offered Holy Communion with Jesus and neighbor in love, a little foretaste of heaven on earth. Let us wholeheartedly answer the Church’s invitation this Lent to a deeper, more intimate communion with God and neighbor in life-giving love.