Resources for Lent
On the Journey
On February 14th, we celebrate Ash Wednesday and the start of the Lenten Season. For the next Forty days we will journey with Jesus towards His passion and cross. During this time the Church invites us to unite ourselves with Christ by offering up small daily sacrifices and/or taking on additional opportunities for prayer and reflection.
If you’ve been Catholic your whole life (or even a few years) Lent can start to seem routine. True, we see more purple in Church and more ads for fish sandwiches on TV, but all of that can be lost in the hustle and bustle of life.
This is your invitation to be intentional about this Lent. Try giving up something new or making more time for prayer. Set time apart to talk to your children (or parents) about Lent and ask them what they are planning to do. You might even consider taking on a family sacrifice or commitment to prayer.
Make this a different Lent by allowing God into your heart. Ask Him what He would like you to focus on and let Him work in your life. Lent is not a season of punishment for sin. It is an opportunity to fall deeper in love with the God who loves you so much that He died on a cross so that He could spend all of eternity with you.
And yes, Valentines Day does fall on Ash Wednesday this year, so if you are planning to give up chocolate make sure you eat all of your Valentines candy on Tuesday!
Resources for the whole family:
Find Mass and Confession Times
Fasting and Abstinence guidelines can be confusing. This illustrated guide makes them easier to understand.
Watch Fr. Mike Schmitz explain the Significance of Ash Wednesday
Sign up for a daily email to help you make this the Best Lent Ever
Check out activities and advice for celebrating Lent with children
Here are 50 meatless meals to try in Lent
Inspire your teen with Life Teen’s list of 102 creative things to give up for Lent
The United States Catholic Council of Bishops (USCCB) has a wealth of resources on their website.