How are you making the most of your Lenten Season?

________

I'm finally starting to take advantage of my Lent, and it only took me 28 years and the last few weeks of Lent to fully embrace the season. Better late than never, I always say! With age they say comes wisdom. I'm still waiting for the wisdom to come, but I'm starting to pick up some tips and tricks on how to do Lent well, and this year I'm committing myself to doing Lent WELL.

1. Don't stop at just giving something up

When I was younger I was always told that I needed to give something up, but would usually not worry about ADDING anything to fill the holes in my interrupted "routine". I would struggle through the 40 days with no tv or sweets, but immediately go back to my old habits once Easter rolled around without any real change in my heart. There wasn't much that I was DOING, just avoiding. There are actually THREE things we should strive to do throughout Lent: Prayer, Fasting, AND Almsgiving.

During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. usccb.org

By giving something up, the hope is that you make more room for your relationship with Christ in some other shape or form. If you give up watching television alone for Lent—it's soooooooo hard for this show-binging gal—then you now have time to go to Daily Mass or pray a rosary for someone. You also save on that monthly subscription that you can donate a few extra dollars more to your parish or cover coffee with a friend.

2. Allow your Lent to challenge YOU

Have you had a year where you weren't sure what to give up, then you realized it was already Ash Wednesday? Guess you'll be giving up chocolate again just to tell people SOMETHING when they ask what you're doing for Lent. Been there, done that. Definitely no shaming from me!

Don't get me wrong, sometimes life itself feels like a season of Lent and chocolate is all you have the energy to give up! If that's you this year, I'm praying for you for sure!!! But I'm talking more about those years where you didn't take even 10 minutes to prepare your heart for the Lenten journey and examine the chains or shortcomings in your life. What are YOU not able to say no to? What would bring you joy to celebrate indulging in on Easter Sunday?

What's something you want to continue doing even AFTER Easter is come and gone?

The point of Lent isn't to do nothing fun or enjoyable, it's to challenge YOU and see where YOU can grow. And what works for someone else might not work for you. My husband is doing Exodus 90 and one of his disciplines, among a list of thousands others, is taking cold a shower. That doesn't mean that I must do it too since it would be an incredible challenge for someone who comes out with red marks on her back because the water was still not hot enough. I would have to quit Lent before it began, or simply not shower for 40 days! But avoiding meat on Wednesdays and Fridays is definitely something that can challenge me personally to expand my meal prepping and intentionality with what I put in my body.

3. Not always are simple penances "too easy"

I have a buddy who just became Catholic this past year, and he really wanted to figure out something good to do for this year. And he was struggling. He talked about doing one thing, but then decided not to because it was "too easy". The good news is there's no such thing!

As I said earlier, if life feels like a perpetual Lenten season, adding one more thing to your list might not help your heart. Sometimes all you need is some grace for yourself. Besides, whoever said giving up the snooze button was "too easy" for Lent has never hit the snooze button by the way. Never doing that one again!

4. It's never too late to recommit!

Regardless of how your Lent has been to this point, the good news is that if you started failing on Day 1, you still have two weeks left of the season. Fight the good fight and finish the race strong. Lent isn't supposed to be an endurance race, but a time for individual growth spiritually. THAT is what truly matters. If you have found something worth celebrating by Easter Sunday then you've experienced a successful Lent.

Take what you need from these 4 tips, and come back to them later if you need simple reminders throughout these next few weeks leading up to Holy Week, or in your general prayer life. Know that I'm praying for you and your ministries!

God bless.