Renew Your Faith- Experience Holy Week: Part II- Good Friday

Nothing I write here can ever come close to helping any of us understand the true magnitude of what Jesus Christ did for us on that first Good Friday so many years ago.

But I can tell you this: When Jesus hung on the cross, his life draining from his body...he thought of you.

Let that sink in for a minute.

He was crucified for your sins.

Are you Pontius Pilate?

I used to believe Pilate got a bad rap. He was interested in Jesus, seemed to understand Jesus was somehow....special.

Pilate sought the truth.
Pilate wanted to release Jesus, and stated he found the Lord guilty of no crime deserving death.

Give Pilate a break!

But look again at what Pilate did- or, rather- failed to do. 

Pilate knew the truth- he knew Jesus was guilty of nothing.

And Pilate did nothing to save him.

Now, laying aside for the moment our 20/20 hindsight and knowledge of the scriptures, and that everything unfolded exactly as it was meant to be....think about that.

Pilate knew the truth, and did nothing to stop the evil.

How often do you do that? More often than you think.

"I don't believe in abortion, but I can't make decisions for other people."
"What's true for you isn't necessaritly true for me."
"Well, she's an adult. I can't say anything about what she does."
"It's OK, I'm mature enough to not let this get out of hand."
"What difference does it make if gays marry? I don't agree with it, but it doesn't affect me."
"God understands if I use artificial contraception."

Pilate was a moral relativist, and - thanks to what Pope Benedict XVI called "the dictatorship of relativism"- so is most of society. We've evolved to a place where objective truth no longer exists, everything is relative.

Well, that's a lie. And we all know who the Father of Lies is.

So- next time you find yourself failing to stand up for the truth against the crowd who thinks loud lies become truths, remember....you have company.

Pontius Pilate.

Awesome Things to Do with Kids on Holy Saturday!!

For those of you who don't know me, I have a BIG family. My husband of nearly 28 years and I have 7 (SEVEN) children, the oldest of whom turns 24 next week.

No. No multiples.

Yes. Every one of them was planned....by God. But that is another story for another day.

My point here is that the Easter Vigil Mass was not a part of our family until 1996, when my husband came into the church. We belonged to St Charles at the time, and the RCIA was run by the formidable Sr Mary Johnene Wellman, of happy memory.  (you can read about her HERE )  At the Easter Vigil Mass in 1996, at least 25...yes 25... people entered the Church. That's a lot of baptizing and Confirming. So there I was- 6 months pregnant with child #6, and five children ages 6 and younger....and Daddy on the opposite side of the church. It was not a fun evening for me, especially with Moose (18 months old) thoroughly enjoying dropping the hymnals flat...because he learned they make the most noise that way.

After that, we stuck to Easter Sunday Mass, followed by our special family holiday breakfast and an Easter Egg hunt in the yard (or the family room if it was too cold). It was 2005 (I believe) before we tried again- and that was a Mass that will go down in our family history. We STILL laugh about it... but again- the story will wait.

Naturally, we color Easter eggs on Holy Saturday- at one point ELEVEN DOZEN of them. Good thing I have LOTS of hard-boiled egg recipes!!!  For the record, I have no problem with the Easter Bunny- he is a fun part of growing up, like Santa and the Tooth Fairy. As long as our children know the real reason for the holiday, a fun guy dropping off candy won't doing any harm!

Today I want to give you lead time to plan an AMAZING Holy Saturday with your children- whatever their ages. During those years between Vigil Masses, we developed a set of traditions that we still continue- so we must be doing something right. My purpose was to have the children thinking less about the Easter Bunny than they were about- to borrow a phrase from the Passover ritual- why this night is different than all others.

The Blessing of the First Food of Easter. 

When Deacon Mike was at St Charles, he did this blessing, and for a couple years, we had a priest join us for these traditions ( he blessed our food then). When I worked for St John, I arranged for the blessing. Alas, it is one of those beautiful little "t" traditions that has gone kaplooie in Lima, OH. Thankfully, it is a blessing you can do at home, and without clergy. :-)

The Blessing of the First Food is an Eastern European tradition, stemming from what is called the Great Fast of Lent. During Lent, the people did not eat...get ready.... : meat, dairy, sugar or eggs. Yeah. And you thought going meatless one day a week was rough? Fruits and veggies- and not much else. So, eating those foods on Easter morning literally was a BREAK-FAST. The blessing was not only in thanksgiving, and asking to strengthen bodies through them, but to avoid illness from the shock to the system.

The woman of the home would make a special bread, called a babka or paska, it was very rich ( my recipe uses a dozen egg yolks!) Here's last years...

The babka would go into a basket lined with a special, hand-embroidered linen used ONLY  for the First Food Blessing. Also in the basket: butter, fresh eggs, cheese, meat, a candle, and...the PSANKY ( the amazing Ukranian Easter Eggs). Nowadays, you will also find children bringing their Easter Baskets (with candy) for the blessing, too.

THIS LINK will take you to a simple blessing you can use at home. Look at it ahead of time and mark the scripture passages. ALSO::::::: DO NOT MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS over people or objects if you are not ordained!!!! That is a HUGE no-no, and one many Extraordinary ministers make. That is a priestly blessing- even DEACONS cannot bless by making the sign of the cross over people/objects.  The proper action is to hold your hand over the item/person, then you make the Sign of the Cross on your own person as usual.

THE FAMILY EASTER CANDLE

This is a cool and meaningful project. We did it at St John on Holy Saturday morning ( before the basket blessing) and some St Rose families even joined us.  You need:

A 3" (minimum) diameter pillar candle- preferable white or ivory, at least 6 inches tall
Whole cloves
Sharpie Markers
Scissors
rubber cement
Clip Art of Easter- related pictures:   Victory Lamb, Pelican, Cross, Lillies,  Noah's Ark, etc.  Also phrases such as "He is Risen!," and bible verses. You can find scrapbooking stickers that are appropriate, as well as scrap book paper with ornate crosses at Hobby Lobby.

With the Sharpie, make a cross, then add the numerals for the year and the alpha and omega. like this:

 The cross there is one we cut out from scrapbook paper, but you can draw yours.

Next, GROWNUPS ONLY-- Use the tip of your scissors to start small holes at each point of the cross, and one in the middle. Small holes- you will then insert a whole clove into each hole. These represent the incense. You'll want to dip the clove stem into rubber cement to help it stick.

Now decorate the candle however you like. You can see the one above is a little more simple than this one:

Sadly, neither of these photos shows a pelican, my favorite symbol. Legend has it that the pelican, if unable to find food for her young, will pierce her breast and feed them her blood. GET IT??????

The candle goes in the basket for the blessing of the food.

But THIS is the neat part!!!!!    Whenever you attend Easter Mass ( even the vigil)... light the candle for the first time from the Easter Candle at church. Catch the servers after mass, and they can help you with this one.

Then, light it every family meal throughout Easter season- all the way to Pentecost.....just like we do at church. And just like at church, the candle represents the presence of Christ- the Light of the World- in a special way. Ours stays on the table all year long.

After Pentecost, light it at special times...birthdays...anniversaries...holidays...a special guest at your table...report card day (yes, really!)....or even, just because.   During the liturgical year, the candle is lit for weddings, funerals, 1st Eucharist , Confirmation, ordination....for the really special days.

Start the Family Easter Candle tradition, and believe me- it will be special! And- as a special bonus- your children have leaned something about their faith.

Easter Story Cookies

HERE is the link for the recipe. It is self explanatory. ( This is where I use the egg white from the dozen eggs in the babka!)
Be sure you pre-mark the scriptures...and pre-measure the ingredients. It saves lots of time.

Again- my youngest is FOURTEEN and the kids still ask every year..."Are we making Easter Story Cookies?"

I have also had priests ask me if we were going to make them...and could we bring a couple to church?


So, I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the Alderman family Holy Saturday traditions...and I really hope you will try at least one of them and that it helps your family experience the joy of Easter in a special way! While you're at it- share the link to this page so your friends can try something new with their children!

Renew Your Faith- Experience Holy Week, Part I: Holy Thursday

In our family, birthdays are never "one" day. Rather, they tend to stretch over two or more days for various reasons: work schedules, out-of-town children, and/or the general busy-ness of 21st century life. Just this weekend, we celebrated GG's 94th birthday on Saturday...and Sunday. You just can't get too much of a good thing.

Our Catholic faith gives us a good example of this. Christmas lasts for three weeks (or longer, depending on the way the days fall). The first Sunday after Christmas is the feast of the Holy Family. The second Sunday after Christmas is the Epiphany, and the third Sunday after Christmas is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, formally ending the Christmas Season. Advent- the four Sundays prior to Christmas - are not part of Christmas, despite what society tells us with all the decor appearing around the middle of October. (Click HERE for my blog post about Advent!)

Our celebration of Easter is the same way. Despite all the bunnies and eggs and pastel-colored Peeps surrounding us in retail outlets, we are not in the Easter season, it is still Lent. And today begins the end of our Lenten season: the Triduum. Latin for "three days," it marks our remembrance of Jesus Christ's passion and death...leading up to his glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The final week of Lent is a time for the most amazing liturgical celebrations of the entire year ( at least they should be!). Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, ( if you are lucky, you'll get a Tenebrae service) Holy Saturday....all leading up to the holiest season for Christians: Easter. And- since it is so holy- we can't have Easter be just ONE day, or one week. Nope. We get FIFTY days of Easter!!! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Log on to your local parish's web page. If the parish staff is worth their salt, they should have the homepage-(not the link for the bulletin, the actual HOME PAGE) updated with all the Holy Week Liturgies. The Facebook page and Twitter should be sending out the info every day this week. 

This is what you have to look forward to!

Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord's Supper.... Probably my favorite Mass of the entire year, because it celebrates the institution of not ONE, but TWO sacraments. That in itself is pretty cool. One of the most moving parts of the Mass is when the priest removes his chasuble and stole and washes the feet of twelve MEN ( YES, only MEN are supposed to take part in this. The ritual specifies VIROS, which is Latin for "men"). If you see women and children up there, it is because the person who made the phone calls deliberately overlooks the sign value of the 12 being men, or simply does not know any better. Anymore, it's probably a little of both- that and the ridiculous press for so-called inclusivity. But the fact is: Jesus washed the feet of twelve MEN, and in doing so instituted the sacramental priesthood by demonstrating the servant nature of the priesthood.

By the way- if you are a man and get a phone call asking you to be one of those twelve, the proper answer is, "I would be honored. Thank you for asking me." NOT, "Oh, I could never do that!"  Remember- Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet!

As an aside, Pope Francis going to the juvenile prison for the Holy Thursday Mass is so beautiful. His servant heart will be denounced by many.... we are already hearing it.... and others will use his compassion and humility to pass judgment on the Church as a whole and the papacy in particular.... but keep watching him. I have a feeling Pope Francis will set our hearts on fire!

The second sacrament whose institution we celebrate on Holy Thursday is the Eucharist. In this Mass, we recall the first Mass. Imagine, shortly after the multiplication of the loaves and fish, shortly after the Bread of Life discourse in  John 6... being present as Jesus Christ reaches 18 hours into the future and makes clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bread and wine become his Body and Blood. It happens at every Mass, and Holy Thursday, we celebrate it in a special way. After Communion should be a Eucharistic procession, taking the remaining hosts to an altar of repose outside the sanctuary. The altar is then stripped of all linens and all plants/flowers should be removed from the sanctuary. Adoration at the altar of repose for at least part of the night should be available. The tabernacle doors are left open to show that it is empty.

Why is it empty?

As a stark reminder of the events that have now been set in place... the last Supper is over. Jesus has gone out to pray- and will soon be arrested- and worse. 

So... open a new window and go to your parish website ( unless your parish actually sent out Holy Week info, ours didn't this year :-(   )   and get that schedule for the rest of Holy Week.

And BOOKMARK this blog or sign up below for updates for the rest of Holy Week and into the East Season!

Enter into the Paschal Mystery, experience the events of this Triduum in a way new to you. 

Jesus Took the Hit for Me

 

Sorry the image is a little large ofr the top of the page- but it is important for you to be able to see the details!

This is the rosary I made for our daughter, Debbie, for her Confirmation. She picked all the 'ingredients,' Momma put it together. The crucifix is called The Tree of Life, and- as she will learn when she reads this post- it is the one I wore around my neck at the time. That was the crucifix she wanted, and money was tight right then, so it was the logical solution.

A few years later, she got her driver's license on the Feast of the Assumption, and the rosary took its place on the rear-view mirror. (For the record, she does pray the rosary, it's not simply an accessory in her car.) True to the pattern for her older brother and sister- a pattern I am grateful has NOT continued- one month to the day after she got that license, she had her first accident.

A fender-bender? No. She missed a turn on a country road, slid on loose gravel a flew her Chrysler Concorde into a ditch nose first, bending the car in half. Oh. did I mention this was also on her dad's birthday?  We got to the scene and found Debbie- none the worse for the experience, save faint abrasions on her arms- evidence she had both hands on the wheel when the airbag blew. ( When her older sister had a fender-bender, triggering the airbags, she ended up with a fat lip and black eyes...in addition to the airbag marks on her arms)

The next day, she was gathering her belongings form the vehicle. The rosary that had been around the rearview mirror had ended up in the back seat. A few beads broke, one or two completely shattered- you can see them in the drop portion- or at least where they were. And the sterling silver crucifix twisted from the impact. ( Note- however, Mom's workmanship held up through the ordeal ;-) )

I offered to fix it up for her, good as new.

She declined. "Jesus took the hit for me."

As we enter this final week of Lent before Holy Week, make an extra effort to take up the sacrifices and prayers you committed to on Ash Wednesday. Enter Holy Week with a heart on fire for God, and whenever life seems to get too tough, when your sins seem insurmountable-remember:

Jesus took the hit for you. 

Remember You Are Dust...

 ( FAQ's about Ash Wednesday are below!)
While working for a parish, we had a maxim: More people come to Mass when we are giving away something.

Translation: Ash Wednesday.... Palm Sunday...

For some reason, even the nominal Catholics manage to make it to Mass on Ash Wednesday. Perhaps it is because they believe it is a holy day of obligation ( it is not)...but if it gets them there, we'll take it.

After the excesses of Mardi Gras ( and perhaps a paczki or two too many), Ash Wednesday is a subdued celebration.

Celebration?

Yes. It is the beginning of our own, personal desert experience modeled after Jesus' own 40 days fighting temptation and the Israelites' 40 years of wandering.  We set before ourselves a challenge- to enter this time of preparation and use it to become closer to the Lord, and- as I have said before- to become better people on Easter Sunday than we were on Ash Wednesday.

By now, we each should have looked into our hearts and found them in need of spring cleaning. The sacrifices and challenges we choose for ourselves are often more difficult than someone else would choose for us- and we also judge our compliance more harshly. So much so, that- like New Year's resolutions, many a Lenten promise falls by the wayside, never to be taken up again.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan  reminds us not to get discouraged, "We’ve got a Lord who’s not so much concerned with what we’ve done in the past as with what we’re doing today- so cast out into the deep!”

So if you miss a day of exercise, toss a piece of candy in your mouth absentmindedly, or forget to pray.... that's alright.

It's not a sin. Your Lenten sacrifice is between you and the Big Guy. Start again. However many times you need to- just keep going, keep trying.

...and when Easter Sunday dawns, you can walk out of the tomb a better person than you are today. 

Why ashes?

The ashes represent the old sackcloth-and-ashes penances of the old days. They also remind us that everything we do in this life will end up as nothing but ash- and that includes our own lives. Hence the phrase uttered as the ashes are imposed: Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return. ( "Repent and believe in the Gospel" is the other option, but it sure lacks the punch of the former)

It is only through the Cross of Jesus Christ that anything we say or do in this life as any value. Those ashes are a stark and humbling reminder.

Where do the ashes come from?

Traditionally, the ashes are from the burning of  old Palm Sunday palms. Nowadays, most churches order their ashes from a church supply company. For sign value, some churches will burn the palms for their Ash Wednesday use....  hopefully after they cool- and it takes some time for them to cool, as many have learned the hard way!

Can only Catholics receive ashes?

Ashes are a sacramental, and are not limited to reception by Catholics. An increasing number of non-Catholic churches are having Ash Wednesday services and non-Catholics may receive ashes at an Catholic church. Non-Catholics may not receive the Eucharist or other sacraments at a Catholic church.

How long must I leave the ashes on my forehead?

There is no rule about leaving them. If your job requires it, you may wash them off after the Mass/ service. However, the ashes are a powerful sign! In 2001, I had some business to attend to on Ash Wednesday, immediately after morning Mass. On woman I met with pointed out to me that I had "some dirt" on my forehead. She was Presbyterian and her church was having its first-ever ash service that evening. We had a wonderful discussion about ashes, Lent and Lenten practices in our faiths!

Some siblings have contests to see who can keep the ashes visible the longest....until Mom makes them wash their faces!

Who must abstain from meat?

Catholics age 14 and older should abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent. Younger than 14? Teach them young! The difference is that younger those younger than 14 are not bound by the rule because they may not fully understand it.

As a side note, the point of abstaining from meat is to make a sacrifice. Bypassing steak and having lobster and shrimp instead is not exactly a sacrifice. These meatless meals should be simple and sacrificial. Traditional Lenten meals in the Alderman home are : Potato Pancakes, Potato Soup, Homemade Pierogies, Macaroni and Cheese, Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, Fish and Tater Tots, Tuna Casserole, Spaghetti and  Meatless Sauce

How does fasting work?

Catholics who are age 18 and have not yet reached their 65th birthday are obligated to fast. Fasting means they may eat one complete meal, and the balance of the food eaten during the day should not be greater than  a one-meal amount. Days of fast are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Lenten Bucket List - a Challenge for Lent 2013

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 7^th 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!