Lent is a 40-day period leading up to Easter, beginning with Ash Wednesday.  Lent is a penitential season.  That means it is an opportunity to examine your life, give your struggles to God, and invite him to help you become the-best-version-of-yourself.

During Lent, there is a strong focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  All these spiritual exercises help prepare us for the celebration of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

When is Lent in 2020?

Lent this year begins on Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

The day before Ash Wednesday is popularly known as Mardi Gras (literally Fat Tuesday).  Since Lent is a season of fasting, Fat Tuesday traditionally is a final day of feasting and merrymaking before the 40-day fast.

When is Easter?

Easter this year is April 12, 2020.

When is Holy Week?

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, which is April 5, 2020.  Holy Thursday, which begins the 3-day period the Church calls the Easter Triduum, is April 9, 2020.  Good Friday is April 10, 2020.

What should I give up for Lent?

Lent is the perfect time to form new life-giving habits and abandon old self-destructive habits.  But most of us just give up chocolate.  Then, when Easter arrives, we realize we really haven’t grown spiritually since the beginning of Lent.

Giving things up can help us to have a meaningful Lent, but that’s not what Lent is really all about.  Lent is about doing something—something bold to become a better husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter, friend, neighbor, etc.

What if this year you did more than just give up something during Lent?  Do something life-changing.

What are Prayer, Fasting, and Alsmgiving?

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are three traditional practices of Lent.  They are meant to help us turn away from self-destructive habits and open ourselves to God so he can help us become the-best-version-of-ourselves.

What is Prayer?

St. Therese of Lisieux wrote, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”  And yet, the truth is, prayer is perhaps the most difficult thing we will ever do.

Prayer is central to the Christian experience.  A Christian life is not sustainable without it; growth in the Christian life is simply not possible without prayer.  Growing in character and virtue, learning to hear the voice of God in our lives, and walking where he calls us all require the discipline of prayer.

If you want to know God, and if you want to know yourself, pray.  Talk to God.  There are many different kinds of prayer (adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving), but in the end, prayer is simply conversation with God.

What is Fasting?

Fasting is a spiritual exercise, and is primarily an action of the inner life.  We do not fast to impress other people.  We fast to cultivate the inner life.  Fasting should be an occasion of joy, not a cause of sadness.  Authentic fasting draws us nearer to God and opens our hearts to receive his many gifts.

Go without food for several hours and you quickly realize how truly weak, fragile, and dependent we are.  This knowledge of self strips away arrogance and fosters a loving acknowledgment of our utter dependence on God.

Catholics are invited to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  Guidelines for a day of fasting include eating only two small meals and one full meal, without eating in between meals.  Those who are physically unable to fast from food are encouraged to choose something else to fast from on those days.

Why do Catholics not eat meat on Fridays?

Catholics often do not eat meat on Fridays, especially during Lent.  This is an intentional way to remember Christ’s passion and death with an act of self-denial.  It is generally practiced on Fridays, since that is the day that Jesus suffered and died.

What is Almsgiving?

Almsgiving is giving to those in need.  If we open our eyes we will discover that we are surrounded by need.  We are always called to be generous, but during Lent, we are invited to share the love of God with other people by being especially generous with our time, talent, and treasure.

We cannot do everything, but that doesn’t mean we should do nothing.  We cannot save everyone, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t save some.  Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.  And what we can do, all of us, is make small sacrifices, and simplify our lives in some small ways so that others may simply live.

Lenten Prayer for Transformation

Loving Father,

I invite you into my life today
and make myself available to you.
Help me to become the-best-version-of-myself
by seeking your will and becoming a living example
of your love in the world.
Open my heart to the areas of my life that need to change
in order for me to carry out the mission
and experience the joy you have imagined for my life.
Inspire me to live the Catholic faith
in ways that are dynamic and engaging.
Show me how to best get involved in the life of my parish.
Make our community hungry for best practices
and continuous learning.
Give me courage when I am afraid,
hope when I am discouraged,
and clarity in times of decision.
Teach me to enjoy uncertainty and lead your Church
to become all you imagined it would be
for the people of our times.

Amen.