What are you doing for Lent?

JAI
AGNISH

On Ash Wednesday, I drove by a church marquee on my way to Vernon that said, “What are you giving up for Lent for God?” Hmm, I thought. That’s odd. For those of you who make the daily commute on Route 515, you know the one I’m talking about. You can’t miss it because it’s situated where the road takes a sharp S-turn. You’d crash right into it if you didn’t stay on the road. It’s that classic outdoor church sign style with black lettering on white plastic. They’re all over the place. It’s an American religious tradition often taken for granted.

For those who snowboard or ski, perhaps you’ve seen it on your way to Moun­tain Creek. That’s where I was headed on that first day of Lent between media inquiries and newspaper edits. I decided to take a few hours off work for my mental well-being. One of my happy places is a ski lift. I love the crisp air on my face and the slow-moving tour up the mountain through the woods. There’s nothing like the feeling of carving through freshly groomed snow at your feet. It’s invigorating.

I hope to steal away more moments like these during the 40 days of Lent. With any luck, these quiet moments will be spent kneeling in church pews or reading the Gospel. I hope to make it to confession and attend daily Mass a few times weekly.

There’s this moment in the morning when my wife and I walk to Mass. We’re holding hands, and the city streets are quiet. The sidewalks are empty. There’s the odd car speeding off to work, so we wait at the crosswalk in silence as it goes by. No one is dining at the restaurants. The sounds of the city are absent.

This Lent feels different.

When I drove by that church sign on Route 515, I thought, “Haven’t they been listening!? It’s not what are you giving up for Lent, it’s what are you doing for Lent?! Ugh.” God, forgive my judgment. If you want to give up drinking, chocolate, or something else for Lent, you have my complete support. Your Penitential Act or Lenten sacrifice has much worth and should be applauded.

As for me, I’m approaching these 40 days a little differently. And with any luck and lots of God’s grace, I will be doing something for Lent. For those of you paying attention, this was one of the themes in Bishop Kevin Sweeney’s Beacon column last week. If you missed it, go back and read it either in print or online.

“‘Giving something up’” (also known as ‘fasting’) is only one of the three spiritual practices that the Church and the Ash Wednesday Gospel (Mt 6:1–6, 16–18) invite us to consider,” the bishop wrote. “In addition to fasting, we should consider prayer and almsgiving as we prepare for Lent. So, in addition to thinking about what we will ‘give up,’ we should also consider some special time or form of prayer that we will commit to for the 40 days of Lent.”

Bishop Sweeney suggests praying the Rosary or praying with Scripture. He also suggests the Stations of the Cross. (Check your local parish bulletin!) And, of course, there are Lenten reflections.

What about going to Daily Mass?

“It is my personal belief that attending daily Mass (and receiving Communion) is one of the most ‘underrated’ or under-appreciated ‘secrets’ of the spiritual life,” Bishop Sweeney writes. “I am not sure why we don’t encourage it more for those who are striving to grow and mature in Faith.”

And while attending Mass every day may seem daunting, he suggests trying it once, twice, or three times during the week, in addition to Sunday Mass.

“What better way for our hearts to be renewed than by participating in the mysteries of our salvation each week?” Bishop Sweeney writes.

I think of Father Jason, who often celebrates daily Mass at my parish. His average Mass time is 15 minutes. No joke. And it’s always a great message.

In his Ash Wednesday homily, Father Jason suggested making Lent a time for understanding God and building our relationship with Him.

In his straightforward way, he said to seek the gift of understanding this Lent and “leave the chocolate and potato chips and TV out. Who cares. You need to understand who God is.”

Understand God’s love for His people. Understand the Eucharist. Understand that God is always with us. Understand that the one who loves you became like you so you would be like Him.

“If we can understand that, and we can fix some of the relationships in our own lives where we don’t understand where it went wrong, we may very well be able to understand the relationship God wants with us,” he said.

In his announcements at the end of Mass, Father Jason pointed out that your local parish may be offering an opportunity to grow in our understanding of God.

Dear Beacon reader, I encourage you to check your local parish bulletin, website, or social media channels to learn about what is being offered to you this Lent. You can also check the “What To Do” section of The Beacon either in print or online. Perhaps a teacher is coming to speak at your parish. Or there is a Lenten retreat. If your parish doesn’t have a Lenten mission, what about a nearby parish? Have you heard about the Pentecost Project at our Cathedral of St. John the Baptist? Learn about it here or on the front page of the Feb. 16 edition of The Beacon. Registration is open and ongoing.

I’d love to hear about what you are doing for Lent. Please send me an email [email protected]. Also, let me know if your parish is doing something special for Lent, and we can add it to the “What To Do” calendar.

I pray you have a blessed Lent and a rich encounter with our Savior.