A Season of Preparation
Lent, as you likely know by now, is a season of preparation for the Resurrection of Christ on Easter. Just as Christ spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying, we do also. The Catholic Church requires that we pray, fast, and give alms. Since today is Ash Wednesday, the following are some suggestions for Lenten practices and things to think about for all you who haven’t figured out what you’re doing yet. Which is likely what I’d be if I weren’t assigned to writing this article.
Prayer: Be specific and concrete about where, when and what you’re going to pray. Go to the chapel. Go for a walk. Or make a point of going to Mass a certain number of times each week. Pray a specific prayer daily, like the Litany of Humility, the Surrender Novena, the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Or spend some time in front of Christ in Adoration.
Fasting: I’ve heard it suggested that, while it’s great to fast from things like carbs, sugar and coffee, fasting from something less tied to health can be a good way to go also. This is not to say you should gorge yourself on cake all through Lent, but fasting from something that isn’t bad for your health can keep your intention more focused. For example, give up ice and drink lukewarm water. I heard once that a priest gave up oregano. Of course, another great thing to fast from is (drum roll) technology (surprising, I know). Limit yourself with regard to social media, or get rid of it entirely. If you have music playing in the background all the time, commit to silence, even for just one hour every day. Delete the apps that encourage you to procrastinate, that make you grumpy, or that are a waste of your time. Spend that time, or part of it, in prayer instead.
Almsgiving: Donate the money that you would have used to purchase what you are fasting from, if applicable. Or volunteer your time. Remember that we are called to give from what we have and to make sacrifices. Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote in a letter to his good friend Robert Bridges that we should give to charity to the point of reasonable inconvenience. Don’t make yourself too much poorer than you already are, but don’t use your crippling student debt as an excuse to not make small sacrifices.
Also, don’t overburden yourself with unreasonable expectations for this Lent. If you pray, fast and give alms in small but consistent ways, you will likely grow closer to God than if you run yourself into the ground and don’t stick with your Lenten practices for the whole of the season. And keep yourself oriented toward Easter. Remember Christ’s great sacrifice and suffering, but don’t forget to hope in the coming Resurrection. Treat Sundays during Lent as mini-Easters. Never lose sight of God, do not become discouraged and remember that, as St. Pier Giorgio Frassati said, “Holiness is possible for everyone.”