What Are You Doing for Lent?
The three traditional practices of Lent are Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Many of us can remember as a child being taught to choose something to “give up” for Lent. What is more important than what we “give up” is why we give something up: why we fast, why we pray, why we give alms. The aim of these practices is our continuing conversion to Christ, our growth in knowledge of Him, and doing His will.
If you would like to do a little more prayer this Lent, consider praying the Liturgy of the Hours, which is done on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:00 am. Weekday Mass is celebrated on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:00 am and on Thursdays at 6:30 pm. Stations of the Cross are prayed on Fridays at 7:00 pm. Get started with Lent at our Parish Retreat on Saturday, February 17 starting at 9:00 am. Fasting can be from certain foods. It can also be from things that inhibit your ongoing conversion to Christ. Maybe you can consider fasting from screen time. Work at overcoming a fault, a bad habit or particular vice with which you struggle. Replace the bad action with its opposite good action.
Almsgiving incudes your charitable giving to the church and to the needy. It could also include an increased generosity of compliments, “thank-yous,” and words of encouragement. Your almsgiving could include a little extra help offered to a friend or family member.
A great opportunity for Lent is to participate in a small Faith Sharing Group. Join members of our parish for a weekly meeting to break open the scriptures, dialogue, and pray together during Lent. This will be a five-week journey with the options of an in-person group on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings or Zoom meetings on Thursday mornings. Sign up at sjtbcc.org/lent-encounter/ or call the parish office.
Let your Lent lead you closer to Christ. Pray, fast, and give alms.