Lent

[anna1983]

As someone who has just come back to the Catholic church after leaving it as a child Im thinking about Lent, I know Lent is really important in the church and I want to use this time to become closer to God, I know this is a simple question but can you tell me more about lent and ways I can become closer to God during this time?

 

[kage_ar]

Here is a good FYI on Lent.

catholic.com/thisrock/2001/0104fea1.asp

When it comes to what to do for Lent, this is a good article:

catholicexchange.com/2009/02/23/116163/

You might check at your Parish and see what is going on there. Ours has Stations of the Cross every Friday evening (followed by a soup supper), Father will teach on the Beatitudes every Thursday evening for 6 weeks, there is a day of reflection and learning with the topic of Lecto Divina, we have 40 Days for Life and are raising money for Haiti. That is all in one little Parish!

Reading Scripture, lives of the Saints, going to Adoration and prayer is always a great thing.

 

[Philomeena]

Hi Anna-
Perhaps the easiest way to journey through Lent is by exercising the three practices of Lent-Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

Prayer helps you focus on God. Find ways to add prayer to your daily life. It could be even be simple things like making the sign of the cross on your child’s head, to table prayers, to praying for any new endeavour you take or reading scripture each day. (If you don’t know where to start, you can try the daily lectionary)

Fasting, or creating physical hunger can heighten our awareness and make us more in tune to our need for God and our total dependence on him. Our discomfort can turn us to him. You can also “feast” on things like good works, prayer, daily mass, anything that might create that conversion of heart toward God. Fasting can also be a way of remembering the poor and needy by being hungry in solidarity, or by using the money we would have spent to give alms.

Alsmgiving is a way to care for the needy. you can do this through charitable giving or giving of your time to help those in need. To start, you can just look people in the eye who might have gone unnoticed before.

I love Lent. It is time to slow down, reflect on our sinful nature so that are hearts can turn more fully to Christ. I wish you a blessed Lenten season and I pray that it makes your Easter season that much more joyous.