4 Ideas for a Blessed Lent in the Catholic Church

Lent in the Catholic Church has three purposes: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

 

The cyclical nature of the liturgical year provides a rhythm for engaging in these practices with greater depth each year.

 

But what if your daily life is busy? What if your spiritual life is stagnant?

 

Do you need a Lent “reboot”?

 

Lent is a season in which we can journey more deeply into ourselves and examine the things that stand between us and God. Here are four ideas to assist you in having a blessed Lent in the Catholic Church:

 

 

PRAYER

 

1. Ponder the Gospel of John with Catholic Insights

 

If someone is looking to know Jesus more deeply in the Bible, John is the gospel most often recommended. Why?

 

• John is different from the synoptic gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke include similar events and follow a similar structure.

 

• The content of John is a more theological presentation of Jesus’ life and His teachings.

 

• Instead of brief sayings, longer discourses are included in John, along with other stories not mentioned in the other gospels.

 

If you want to know Jesus better in John’s gospel, consider:

 

• Reading the RSV-CE (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) which is a bit different than the New American version used during Mass. It is recommended for Catholic bible study.

 

• Reflect on passages using the method of lectio divina. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring new awareness of Christ into your life.

 

• Check online streaming services to find a dramatization of John’s gospel that you can follow along with in your bible.

 

• Use a bible study to draw you deeper into God’s word. Some are available from Ascension Press, Emmaus Road Publishing, Ignatius Press, and Liguori Publications.

 

 

2. Add Short Catholic Prayers to Your Daily Routine

 

Are you looking for prayers to help you focus on what Jesus sacrificed for you? Here are four appropriate to Lent:

 

• Chaplet of the Holy Face

 

• Chaplet of the Precious Blood

 

• Litany in Honor of the Five Wounds of Christ

 

• Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Christ

 

 

 

FASTING

 

3. Really Fast, and Learn How It Can Make You Spiritually Stronger in Your Catholic Faith

 

“Giving up sweets” for Lent has become commonplace. But the pious practice of fasting is more than omitting a favorite food.

 

Fasting is spiritual practice. When the body is physically denied, there is space to discern God’s Presence.

 

There are various ways people can fast. But it must never be done to the detriment of one’s health, and it is acceptable to fast from something other than food.

 

To learn more about fasting from a Catholic perspective, the Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI For Lent 2009 is an excellent place to start.

 

You may find this article from The Catholic Gentleman to be thought-provoking, as well.

 

Also, these books may helpful:

 

• Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul

 

• The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence

 

• The Spirituality of Fasting: Rediscovering a Christian Practice

 

• Media Fasting: Six Weeks to Recharge in Christ

 

 

 

ALMSGIVING

 

4. Practice New Ways of Almsgiving in Your Catholic Community

 

Almsgiving literally refers to giving alms (money or food to poor people). In today’s world, people can be poor in many different ways, and ways to help is only limited by your imagination.

 

This Lent, try using the corporal works of mercy as your guide:

 

• Feed the Hungry. Donate groceries to a food bank or help with meals for senior citizens. Take a home-cooked meal to a new mom or someone recovering from an illness or surgery.

 

• Give Drink to the Thirsty. Donate water or juice to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Find an organization that builds water wells in poor and arid areas so people have clean, disease-free water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning.

 

• Clothe the Naked. Don’t just donate used clothing. Consider purchasing warm coats, socks, and underwear to donate to homeless shelters and halfway houses for those adults and children escaping violent situations.

 

• Shelter the Homeless. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Help at an organization like Interfaith Hospitality Network. Or put your talents to work by helping to build low-cost housing for families that need help.

 

• Visit the Sick. Do you know someone who is homebound? Are there residents in a nursing home whose families live out of town? Perhaps find a hospital nearby in need of “baby cuddlers” in the infant NICU. Your presence and arms can be a ministry.

 

• Visit the Imprisoned. Are there opportunities to visit inmates with the hope of Christ in person, or as a penpal? Volunteers are also needed at halfway houses after a prisoner’s release. Don’t forget families of the imprisoned who often need support. Check with your diocese to see how you can help.

 

• Bury the Dead. Contact your local church and donate to a fund that assists families with funeral costs. Contact your city or diocese to assist with burying the homeless. Or donate wedding dresses to the Angel Gown Program to support families who lost a baby.

 

 

Listen to Catholic Radio for Ideas to Have a Blessed Lent

 

Catholic Radio follows the liturgical year in its programming. You will hear new ideas about how to live the season of Lent well.

 

You can listen online to one of our five livestreams, find your local station, or download our free app for Apple and Android.