So, In just TWO more days, Ash Wednesday will be here and
another season of Lent upon us.
When I taught Religious Education, I encouraged the students
NOT to “give up” something for Lent.
Yep. You heard me. Had more than one mother call me
irritated because she used this as a way to get her kids to do what “she”
wanted them to do. When I asked her what practical spiritual growth would come
from giving up TV or sweets or whatever she had in mind for her child …I was
greeted with silence.
Naturally, the kids didn’t tell their folks the rest of the
story. You see young people- and most adults for that matter- don’t understand
sacrifice as a spiritual benefit.
They give up sweets to lose weight for spring.
They give up TV.. or Facebook.. or video games… But what do
they do with that time?
They give up cigarettes for health ( or to save money).
Some people use Lent as version 2.0 for their New Year’s
resolutions.
One year I gave up caffeine. About a week into Lent, my
family asked me to consider something else.
His 7th grade year, our youngest son (child #6)
gave up NOT doing his homework. He
was so surprised at how his grades improved, that he continued “not” not doing
his homework to this day- as a high school junior. Mom won’t argue against that
Lenten sacrifice!
Point is, Lent is supposed to be a time for us to grow
closer to God. When we fast, give alms and pray, we should do it with our mind
on God. So, I would ask the religious ed children to consider something they
could do – with their mind on God- that would help them be better people on Easter
Sunday than they were on Ash Wednesday.
I gave them each an index card on which I had traced a cross
with ashes from my family’s old palm branches. (and there was their lesson on
WHERE we get the ashes and why) They were to keep the card somewhere where they
would see it each morning first thing- as a reminder of their Lenten
commitment, and see it each evening- to evaluate their progress during the day
and pray for strength to continue/ recommit the next day.
For those who can sacrifice with the proper perspective and use
it as an opportunity for spiritual growth- that is great. Others do better with
a positive spiritual exercise.
With that in mind, here is a list of 40 ideas for Lent. Some
are “give up,” some are “do this,” and you can certainly do many of them over
the course of Lent, but each offers you an opportunity to do something positive
to impact your spiritual life and to help you be a better person on Easter
Sunday than you were on Ash Wednesday- which is the entire point of the Lenten
experience!
Lenten Bucket List
1.
Pray for Benedict XVI and his successor. And
your local priests and bishop. They really need the support!
2.
Set your alarm 10 minutes early. Read the Bible.
Start with the Gospels.
3.
Do one crunch per word of the Hail Mary. Really
think about the words. (borrowed from Lifeteen.com)
4.
As a family, pray a decade of the rosary each
evening. Start with the Joyful mysteries and work your way through.
5.
Smoke? Use Lent as an opportunity to quit. If
you smoke a pack a day, smoke one less cigarette every other day. Make a
schedule and count them out. In the 7 minutes you would spend on that cigarette,
consider the blessings in your life.
6.
Learn the Latin for the Hail Mary ( Ava Maria).
Start using it to pray the rosary!
7.
Learn the Latin for the Our Father ( Pater
Noster)
8.
Have a smart phone? Try a free Liturgy of the
Hours app- all the grace, none of the ribbons! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aycka.apps.MassReadings&hl=en
9.
Have a fancy coffee habit? Switch to a more
basic brew and set aside the money you would have spent. Give half to your parish and the other half to
a great local charity… like HEARTBEAT…. Or THE HUMANE SOCIETY… Or SAMARITAN
HOUSE… or any group you believe will use the money well. ( you could also
calculate that amount ahead of time- and make the donation, so the money is
already “gone”- giving you additional incentive to keep the commitment) As you
drink you plain-er coffee, consider how blessed you are to have the option!
10.
Go through your closet and get rid of anything
you have not worn in a year. Haul it over to the St Vincent DePaul Society on
South Main Street. Be grateful for the blessing of decent clothes- and get a
tax write off!
11.
Go through your linens. If they aren’t good
enough for the SVdP, take them to the Humane Society, Angels for Animals or the
Dog Warden. …and be grateful for the blessings of your animal companions!
12.
Attend a Mission or Lenten offering at a local
Catholic parish. Go with a heart open to the message God has for you!
13.
ATTEND THE LIMA LIFE TEEN VARIETY SHOW ON
SATURDAY MARCH 23, 2013. Seeing these amazing teens unafraid to share their
faith will refresh your own faith. Oh- and you get dinner, too! Tickets
available by calling 419-228-7635.
14.
No smart phone? Commit to praying at least ONE
of the hours of the Divine Office each day. You can find the entire Divine
Office (Liturgy of the Hours) online free at http://divineoffice.org/ - this has all the prayer hours. Bookmark
it! It is an amazing feeling to know our prayers joint together in a chorus
before the Lord!
15.
Read about the Saint of the Day. Another site to
bookmark ( they also have an app) https://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/
16.
Visit someone you know who is in a nursing home.
Don’t know anyone? Ask around…
17.
Know someone who is working hard to get through
school? Remember those days? Give up something you needlessly spend $1 a day
on- buy that student gas card.
18.
Visit a cemetery… go to the pauper section or
babyland. ( ask at the office) Spend some time in prayer.
19.
Pick up a good spiritual read- you can find
ideas at Ignatius.com …and you may get a bargain on Amazon.com
20.
Learn to make mission rosaries. The cord ones
are simple and inexpensive. If you are interested, contact me and I’ll hook you
up! Make a bunch and give them away… to foreign missions- or local ones. I drop
off blessed batches at emergency rooms. If you make them all plastic, patients
can use them in an MRI. All
black/plastic rosaries can go to the military- all knotted ones are best. (no
noise).
21.
Commit – with someone you love- to a regular
discussion of some Church teaching. Learn it well enough to teach someone else.
22.
Read 15 paragraphs of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church each day. You won’t get through the whole thing, but it’s a
start! It is not a difficult read, and you will learn a LOT about our Catholic
faith!
23.
Get to a least one Friday Stations of the Cross at
your parish…or get to Mass early and pray the devotion yourself. Try to find a Living Stations on Good Friday. Usually performed
by youth, they are a beautiful variation on the traditional Stations.
24.
Put a paper and pencil on your nightstand. Each day, write one
blessing from that day. Keep the paper when Lent is over.
25.
Go to Confession…eEspecially if you haven’t gone
in a while. If you can’t recall ‘how,’ tell the priest, he’ll be happy to help
you through!! I promise!
26.
Instead of rushing out (or chitty-chatting)
after Mass, spend a few minutes in prayer.
27.
Make a commitment to spend time in adoration.
The chapel at St Rita’s is always open. Each parish has an adoration schedule-
call and ask.
28.
Write a REAL letter to a friend. By hand. Mail
it. In an envelope. With a stamp. Tell him/ her how much the relationship means
to you. I promise- it will create a smile!
29.
Now write another.
30.
And one to your spouse.
31.
And your kids.
32.
If you feel the need to “give up” something like
sweets, the key is to make a spiritual substitution. So, if you reach for a
sweet, stop yourself and offer a prayer instead.
33.
If you decide to turn off the TV, you might
substitute some family prayer, or even a game…or both!
34.
Several years ago- I still can’t believe they
did this- my family got up 30 minutes early every Monday through Friday during Lent
for Morning Prayer together. Some of them even continued after Lent!
35.
Try a prayer devotion that is new to you, like
the Divine Mercy Chaplet or a novena.
36.
Sit in silence for 10 minutes. Let God speak to
you.
37.
Give up Facebook. (but don’t forget to sign up
for Blog updates!)
38.
Make a list of things you feel keep you from the
spiritual life you wish you could have. Look at the list again, and rewrite it-
telling yourself how the items on that list help you grow in your
spiritual life.
39.
Don’t be fancy with your meatless meals! Does
having shrimp really count as giving up meat on a Friday? Come on! Go simple… Grilled cheese. Potato soup.
Salad. Take the money you save on those meals and donate it to the soup
kitchen.
40.
For the ladies… go simple on your hair and
makeup. Wash, dry and brush- no curling/ straightening. Minimal makeup- only
lipstick and mascara. Spend the time you
save in prayer. Let your natural beauty shine!
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