It’s that time of year again. Lent. Whether you participate in it or not, it can do wonders for your walk with Christ. If you’re curious to know what it’s all about, or wonder what I’m doing this year, let me break it down.
Three pillars of Lent
First things first: The word “Lent” comes from a word that means growth, or more specifically, a lengthening. Just as Christ spent 40 days in the desert to prepare for the mission of our salvation, we too spend approximately 40 days (give or take) in our own metaphorical “deserts” (see Matthew 4:1-11) by narrowing in on ways we may be sinning in order to prepare ourselves for a deeper union with Jesus at Easter. For example, I’m focusing on the sin of laziness this year, as I often have a hard time distinguishing between recreation and ignorance of my duties. Besides contemplation of sin, three things are needed to make an effective Lent.
One of these things is a greater devotion to prayer. It helps to start small if you’re newer to a prayer routine, like maybe 5 minutes when you wake up, for instance. This Lent, I will be praying a rosary everyday for all of my family and friends. Prayer can include spiritual reading as well. I will be making my way through all four Gospels this year, really trying to meditate on the life of Jesus. I will also be reading my way through the spiritual classic The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis for the first time, which is exciting.
Another pillar of Lent is fasting. For Catholics, this means no snacks on Ash Wednesday (February 22nd this year) and Good Friday, and no warm-blooded meat on Fridays. (Now you know why restaurants are so gung ho about fish this time of year, it’s a Catholic thing! Back in the day, meat from warm-blooded animals was considered luxurious, putting the rich on the same dietary level as the poor. Beyond the general rule of abstaining from most meat on Fridays, we are supposed to fast from one additional thing of our own choosing. There was often some confusion about this when I was growing up. I thought I had to stay away from bad things. That’s only partly true. We are supposed to be recognizing sin, but the Lenten fast requires us to give up something morally neutral, so that our lives are centered on Christ and not worldly things. Last year, I gave up popcorn, and this year, I’m giving up social media.
The final pillar of Lent is almsgiving. This can be donating money or other things to the poor, or just using time to perform works of charity more generally speaking. Get creative, there’s many ways you can offer things up to the Lord! A final word If you get discouraged with your Lent, don’t give up! I’m sure I might forget to pray the rosary one day, but I’ll keep at it. Just remember, we are walking with Jesus to Calvary, so that we may die with him and rise with him. I’ll talk to you all after Easter.
God bless you, and thank you for reading!
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