Discerning How to Have the Most Fruitful Lent
Do you get stressed thinking about what to give up for Lent? If you do, you’re in good company! I feel like Lent sneaks up on me so soon after Christmas. And while my intentions are good, sometimes I end up choosing something to give up at the last minute, just so I can say I’m doing something. Or I end up procrastinating until after Lent has started and try to come up with what I want to do and end up not doing anything. Some years I get too ambitious and get all the devotionals, sacrifice everything I can think of, only to fail to keep up. Or on particularly difficult years, I feel like I am already in the desert and have nothing left to sacrifice without risking my mental health in the process.
Let me let you in on a secret…
Lent is NOT:
- About seeing how much you can give up.
- About seeing how many devotionals you can complete.
- About giving up sweets for 40 days only to binge eat a ton of candy on Easter.
- About checking off the sacrifice boxes.
Lent IS:
- Supposed to bring you closer to Jesus on the cross.
- A continuous journey that helps you develop habits of self-sacrifice AND growth in prayer and almsgiving that will stick around well after the 40 days of Lent are over and Easter is here.
Inspirational Story
When I was growing up and trying to decide what I would give up for Lent one year, my dad told us a story. Every year for Lent, my grandpa would give up smoking. But then one year, he realized that if he could give it up for 40 days, then he could give it up completely. So, he did.
Lent is about becoming a better person. For some, it might look like sacrificing something you love and offering it up for someone else. For others, it might look like building up prayer life by adding more prayer every day instead of taking something away.
Let’s dive into several ways you can have a fruitful Lent this year!
Sacrifice
Giving something up for Lent is probably one of the most common things I hear. And usually, it’s sweets or coffee. There’s nothing wrong with giving up something that is a special treat, especially if you offer up that sacrifice for someone.
But there is a problem if you are giving up something without making any real changes to your faith life. And sometimes, what you choose to give up may not be the healthiest thing for you. I know better than to give up coffee because then my family would suffer from my crankiness as a result. Is that helping me to grow in faith? Or is that just making me and others around me miserable?
Here is a suggestion, inspired by St. Therese:
Make small sacrifices throughout the day.
You don’t have to just choose one thing to give up. That task might seem daunting. Why not start small and make small sacrifices throughout your day? Have you heard of sacrifice beads? You can slide up a bead each time you make a sacrifice for the good of someone else. Maybe you’re craving coffee from Starbucks. But instead, make a sacrifice, skip the coffee, and offer a prayer. Or put that money in a donation jar or the church collection basket that week. Maybe you want to watch a show at the same time as another family member. You can let them watch what they want instead. Maybe getting up early every day to get prayer time in seems too hard. Dedicate 1 or 2 days a week to making that sacrifice and use it as one of your small sacrifices for that day. Slide up your bead and aim to get 10 small sacrifices each day.
Growth
Think of what you can ADD to your life to become a better person. Last year was a difficult year for me. I suffered a miscarriage in the Fall of 2021, and my due date was the week following Easter. My birthday was on Easter last year, and instead of feeling joyful, I was very depressed. My baby could have been an Easter baby. But all I felt was the loss. It weighed so heavily on my heart that I couldn’t think of sacrificing anything else that might bring joy to my day.
Instead, I decided to focus on what I could ADD to my life. I needed a change in perspective. I needed to focus on the positive aspects of my life. So, every day I wrote down something positive that happened that day or something that had brought me joy. I was working on changing my mindset and seeing the blessings God gave me.
Other ideas for growth: increasing prayer in your day, adding more time to dedicate towards reading the bible or other religious books to learn about your faith. Maybe you’d do well with a devotional. You can also make it a family goal by adding in a screen-free (sacrifice) family game time/prayer time (Growth). Take the opportunity to also add penance to your routine and add in “I’m sorry” throughout the day. The possibilities are endless!
Almsgiving
I get it- this one while straightforward, can be difficult. Especially for those who are financially tight this year. But there is more you can donate than money. You can donate your time. You can donate your expertise. You can also view this as an opportunity to pray for those that need it! It’s a sacrifice of time on your part, but also adds prayer to your life.
Maybe this is a good time for you to go through your house and get rid of clothes you don’t need anymore. You can either sell them, donate the money to charity, or donate the clothes to a shelter, family in need, or pregnancy crisis center. You can also donate your time by volunteering at a shelter or pregnancy crisis center. Maybe your parish needs volunteers for a project? There are lots of ways to give alms. You can also keep a jar at home and put in money throughout the 40 days and at the end, you can donate it.
Other ideas: Write letters. My mom spent one Lent writing a letter to a family member or friend daily. In a way, it is giving your time to that person. And while you are thinking of them, offer a prayer and small sacrifice for them. Offer prayers for a particular cause and send a spiritual bouquet to let that person know that they are being prayed for.
Quiz
What path should I focus on for Lent this year?
- Where do you find yourself spiritually this year?
- In the desert carrying my own cross.
- Super busy!
- In a great spot- I feel really close to God right now.
- I feel like I could be doing more in my faith.
- What have you focused on in the past for Lent?
- I made sacrifices but with no real result.
- I just haven’t had the time for anything other than going to mass on Sundays/holy days.
- I have done everything – sacrifice, devotional, almsgiving.
- I made donations/almsgiving.
- What do you want to accomplish this Lent?
- I just want to feel close to God again.
- I want to make more time in my busy schedule for God.
- I want to help others grow in their faith while making my own journey towards the cross.
- I want to learn more about my faith and get more involved.
- What activities do you enjoy?
- Anything that adds joy back into my life.
- Anything that gives me a moment to myself!
- Activities that allow me to serve others.
- Anything where I can learn something new.
Answer Key
Mostly A’s- Focus on growth this Lent! Making sacrifices might be hard for you. Make a list of one positive thing that happened each day. Add time outside every day so that you can visually see God’s beauty and presence. Go to adoration so you can be physically close to God.
Mostly B’s- You are a busy bee! You’d benefit from forming a connection with God again by adding time for prayer to your day. Start slow; choose 1 prayer to focus on each day! During moments throughout your day, say a quick prayer. It can be as simple as, “Thank you, God!”. Get a rosary bracelet and say it throughout your day and mark your spot. Maybe use an app to listen to the prayers so you have guidance. You can do this!
Mostly C’s- You are in a good spot in your faith right now! You might do well by making a bigger sacrifice this Lent and offering it up for a specific cause. You can help spread your faith to others by sending out spiritual bouquets and writing letters to your friends.
Mostly D’s- You want to get more involved. You feel like you can do more and want to learn more about your faith. This might be the year when you choose a devotional to complete during Lent or start listening to audible books about your faith. You also might consider volunteering your time to your parish, a shelter, or a pregnancy crisis center.
A mix of all- Stick with small meaningful acts of love! Whether it is a small sacrifice, adding prayer to your life, or almsgiving. You can change the world with one small act of love at a time and grow closer to God.
Ready-to-go activities to help you on your Lenten journey
*To find and use these activities, you can click the Lenten Resource Link on my Link tree in my Instagram profile*
- Lenten Prayer chain- This activity is a great one to do with your kids! Print off the chains, cut them out (or they can for a fun cutting activity), and write what you who/what you are praying for on each link. By the end of Lent, you’ll have a long paper chain to show you your prayer journey! Print out 10 copies of the following page, and you’ll have enough links for 40 days of Lent!
- List of Blessings- Print out this list to keep track of all the positives that happened during the day throughout Lent. Or you can use this list to write down what you are thankful for each day.
- Spiritual Bouquet/Letter to a friend- Send to a loved one to let them know they are in your thoughts and prayers. Write the number/circle which prayer you said, or if not listed you can add which prayer you said underneath the list. There is also a blank page with flowers in the background if you’d rather write your own note.
- Digital Sacrifice Beads- Mark off all the little sacrifices made throughout the day- the goal is to make 10 each day if this is what you choose to do for Lent. You can color in each bead as you make a sacrifice and write down whom you were offering it up for. You can print out enough copies to last you throughout Lent.
