Do Something Special for Lent

Feb 9

February 11, 2024

Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today and Forever ~

Lent is a special penitential season when Catholic Christians try to become better Catholic Christians. Specifically, we try to make some sort of special sacrifice for God’s glory, the salvation of souls, and atone for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Some people do big things and some people just one small thing, but we should all do something for Jesus who did everything for us.

Lent will begin this Wednesday with ashes, so now is the time to start making a resolution. Great things, even little things, don’t happen without a commitment and a plan: marriage, parenting, career, good health, etc., all take great commitments and a plan. So does our faith. Martyrs have died for the Lord, and saints have given their whole lives for Him. This Lent please join me in making a plan, with God’s grace, to better yourself in Christ.

I have a list below of things to consider for Lent, yet joining a small faith sharing group would be at the top of that list. For five weeks, multiple small groups will gather to share their insights from Matthew Leonard’s book, Prayer Works. Of the thousands of books that have been written on prayer, this one is special. Matthew does a great job both of explaining how to pray and what prayer is accomplishing. It is easy to understand and ponder, great for sharing with others. For those of you who have not signed up for a Lenten small faith sharing group, please do so if you can. You can sign up by visiting our website and clicking on the Lenten Small Faith Sharing Group tab https://holyredeemervan.org/parish-events/lenten-small-faith-sharing-groups. If you don’t have the internet, please stop by or call the office during office hours. Once signed-up, we’ll get a book to you.

In addition to fasting on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday, and abstaining from meat on those days as well, here are some other things you might consider doing this Lent:

Faithfully attend Stations of the Cross at 5:30pm on Fridays.
Fast on Fridays.
Go to Confession at least once during Lent.
Join a Small Faith Sharing Group during Lent. See above.
Tithe 10% of your income during Lent: 5% to the parish and 5% to other Catholic charities.
In addition to Sunday Mass: attend a weekday Mass once a week.
Pray the Rosary with the parishioners before Mass, with your family, or on your own.
Pray for five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night.
Pray a nine-day novena (or longer). There are lots to choose from, just internet search “novenas.”
Daily spiritual reading.
Watch The Search from our free on-line service Formed (for registered parishioners). You can find Formed by going to our website and clicking on the Resources tab at the top of the homepage and scroll down to the Formed tab. Once on Formed, look for The Search.
Share your faith with a family member, neighbor, or co-worker once a week.
Make a weekly Holy Hour in the church, preferably during 24-hour exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from Friday morning to Saturday morning.
Visit someone who is lonely; best done in person but easy to do on the phone.
Exercise regularly.
Cold showers.
Put on a smile every day.
Think up your own Lenten resolution.

Here are some ideas for you to consider giving up during Lent.

Vices of the tongue: complaining, gossip, slander, swearing, using the Lord’s name in vain, etc.
Cut in half or more: screen time, including TV screens, internet screens, movie screens, video game screen, smart phone screen [the average American teenager looks at their phone 80 times a day – are you any better?].
Cut in half or more: radio time or electronic music (this includes talk radio and news).
Cut in half or more: nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, sweets.
Think up your own.

Remember these two things as you work through your Lenten resolutions: 1) with God’s grace all good things are possible, and 2) setbacks aren’t failures, they are opportunities to grow.

Finally, Mass times for Ash Wednesday are 8:30am, 11am, 7pm. See you there!

May Jesus Bless You,