Just three days until Lent starts!
In my opinion, Lent is a very important time of the year. It is a time for growing, and it's time for your soul to change and become more Christlike.
Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert. It's a time to take off the rags of this world and clothe yourself with the robes of the next life - the one that is far more important. There are many ways you can do this.
One way is by giving up your favorite things (like chocolate, smoking, or watching TV) or your favorite vices (like lust, laziness, vanity, or gluttony). This will help us become more disciplined and take on a mindset of Christ. It will cleanse us of the human and worldly mentality that is so easy to adjust to.
Another good thing to do is fasting. The word fasting is a Hebrew word that means "to cover or shut one's mouth". Pope Benedict XVI put it this way: "Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the
deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger
and thirst for God." (quoted from http://www.diningwithgod.org/fasting-quotes-catholic-popes-and-saints-3/).
Susan Tassone says, "Fasting goes beyond the realm of food and into our actions and thoughts. We allow God to use fasting to move us forward on our way of holiness.... It purifies our heart in order to open it wide to God and to our neighbor." (quoted from Thirty Day Devotions for the Holy Souls by Susan Tassone)
If you think you can't go without food or if you have a medical problem, you can do what Tassone wrote in her book:
Fast from bitterness - feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern - feast on eternal truth.
Fast from personal anxiety - feast on eternal truth.
Fast from anger - feast on patience.
Fast from words that destroy - feast on words that build.
Fast from discontent - feast on gratitude.
Fast from discouragement - feast on hope.
Another great thing would be alms giving. In my experience, this is usually an underrated thing. But giving to the poor is like giving to Jesus because Jesus is in everyone, especially in the least of these. "And the King will answer, 'In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.'" (see Matthew 25:35-40)
In the Bible, Tobit 12:8-9 reads: "Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving
accompanied by righteousness ... It is better to give alms than to store
up gold; for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin.
Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life".
Prayer is another extremely important thing. I encourage you to spend more time in prayer. Maybe even commit to spending an hour in adoration once a week, praying the rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet daily, or at least arriving to church twenty minutes before the beginning of Sunday mass. This will change your life if you let it.
Confession is also a strong suggestion of mine. Confession is such a beautiful part of the Catholic faith. It helps you to truly experience the peace and forgiveness that Christ can bring into your life. It will help you stay on track and give you the grace to know, love, and serve God in a deeper way.
I hope you have a blessed Lent.
Don't be afraid to grow in your relationship with Christ.
*picture from http://www.unitync.net/Schedule.html.
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