What are you doing for Lent?

[Apryl]

It may seem like a long way off… but Lent begins on March 9 in 2011.

I was trying to come up with an activity, or a few, that could encourage the adults in my parish to do something to strengthen their spiritual life.

One thought was to do something like ‘The Purpose Driven Life’… but I did that book several years ago. I liked it, but there was some not-so-Catholic things in there.

If we are going to do this in the Church, I think it needs to be Catholic… at the very least, not have something that is questionable at being in line with the Church and what the Church teaches.

Anyone have any ideas? Any resources I can use? Help!!!

 

[OraLabora]

It may seem like a long way off… but Lent begins on March 9 in 2011.

I was trying to come up with an activity, or a few, that could encourage the adults in my parish to do something to strengthen their spiritual life.

One thought was to do something like ‘The Purpose Driven Life’… but I did that book several years ago. I liked it, but there was some not-so-Catholic things in there.

If we are going to do this in the Church, I think it needs to be Catholic… at the very least, not have something that is questionable at being in line with the Church and what the Church teaches.

Anyone have any ideas? Any resources I can use? Help!!!

Some ideas:

1. In the Benedictine tradition (in fact in the Rule of St. Benedict), the Abbot assigns each monk a spiritual book to read during Lent; if you have a spiritual director you can ask him to suggest a book for you to read during Lent, preferably something from the Church fathers, or at least a book that is faithful to Catholic teaching;
2. The usual restrictions on intake of food (especially sweets, desserts and snacks) and alcohol are always spiritually useful (and, so soon after the Christmas season, often materially useful as well!)
3. Perform acts of charity; volunteer with a charitable organization, etc.
4. Increase your prayer life or take up a new prayer devotion; if you have never been exposed to the Liturgy of the Hours this might be a good time to explore that;
5. Remember to go to confession before Easter, or go more often if you regularly avail yourself of that sacrament (as we all should);
6. and most importantly, if you do give up something difficult for Lent and/or take up new and difficult devotions that take a bite out of your leisure time, do it with a smile on your face and joy in your heart as you are doing it for our Lord! And don’t beat yourself up if you backslide on any of your promises, remember He came for our frailties. Just try to pick yourself back up and move on.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I’m contemplating of doing a Byzantine fast. Total abstinence from meat the entire Lent, not just Fridays.

 

[ZDHayden]

I’m contemplating of doing a Byzantine fast. Total abstinence from meat the entire Lent, not just Fridays.

Interesting, but my family is mostly carnivorous, so that would be especially difficult for me.

Here are my suggestions (and what I hope to do):
I) To read scripture daily, set a goal for yourself (say, a Gospel every 10 days)
II) To daily reflect upon the Passion of our Lord, and spend some time each day praying before a crucifix (I like the San Damiano artistically, myself, but sometimes (when I remember to grab it) wear a large St. Benedict Crucifix in devotion to our Lord – its added weight helps remind me of the hardship of the Christian path)
III) To wear something black or purple (or dark red) every day in commemoration of our Lord’s Passion.
IV) To set some other rule for yourself, such as to speak only when spoken to, and only as much as is necessary to respond to the person who addressed you.
V) To eat only 6 oz. per meal. No candy, and only the equivalent of three sliced of bread when it comes to “luxury” foods.
VI) Wake up early and go to the earliest available Mass daily, but wake up early enough to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary before heading to Mass.
VII) pray some short prayer of penance, like the Fatima Decade Prayer, at all your labors.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Interesting, but my family is mostly carnivorous, so that would be especially difficult for me.

I am too. Oh, you can have fish and other seafood, but no red meats. I have to check too because Byzantine fasting would also not allow dairy products on certain occasions, so no veggie lasagna or pizze either because no cheese.

Maybe add to that, no CAF at work

 

[jmcrae]

It may seem like a long way off… but Lent begins on March 9 in 2011.

I was trying to come up with an activity, or a few, that could encourage the adults in my parish to do something to strengthen their spiritual life.

One thought was to do something like ‘The Purpose Driven Life’… but I did that book several years ago. I liked it, but there was some not-so-Catholic things in there.

If we are going to do this in the Church, I think it needs to be Catholic… at the very least, not have something that is questionable at being in line with the Church and what the Church teaches.

Anyone have any ideas? Any resources I can use? Help!!!

Development and Peace (a Catholic organization) has a number of good ideas - first, a Lenten calendar of good works, including, donate one cent for every pencil, pen, and notebook you own, to a poor school in your city, buy an extra bag of groceries this week and donate it to a food bank, etc.

You can also do a ThinkFast - write to them for details, and they’ll send you a package of ideas - what you do is you gather a group of people to stay overnight in your Church and fast for a period of 30 hours. What they do is they get a form to ask for donations per hour that they manage to stay on the fast. You then write a letter for each participant saying how long they stayed on the fast, and then they go back out and collect their pledges, which they turn in to you. You then send their pledges in to Development and Peace, which uses them to send food to starving people in various places around the world.

The activities in the ThinkFast package are designed to educate people about poverty in the world - there are games they can play, videos they can watch, and so on, to keep everyone busy and not thinking about eating. At the end of the 30th hour, of course, you give them a meal.

 

[BVM_1221]

It may seem like a long way off… but Lent begins on March 9 in 2011.

I was trying to come up with an activity, or a few, that could encourage the adults in my parish to do something to strengthen their spiritual life.

One thought was to do something like ‘The Purpose Driven Life’… but I did that book several years ago. I liked it, but there was some not-so-Catholic things in there.

If we are going to do this in the Church, I think it needs to be Catholic… at the very least, not have something that is questionable at being in line with the Church and what the Church teaches.

Anyone have any ideas? Any resources I can use? Help!!!

catholiccompany.com/virtue-driven-life-p1004012/

 

[ConstantineTG]

Interesting, but my family is mostly carnivorous, so that would be especially difficult for me.

To add: given that we’re such meat lovers, its a bigger sacrifice to forgo meat the entire Lent. I think it will go a long way in helping us become stronger spiritually to fight of the temptation of sin, as we learn in the fight against the desire for meat.

 

[mick321]

It may seem like a long way off… but Lent begins on March 9 in 2011.

I was trying to come up with an activity, or a few, that could encourage the adults in my parish to do something to strengthen their spiritual life.

One thought was to do something like ‘The Purpose Driven Life’… but I did that book several years ago. I liked it, but there was some not-so-Catholic things in there.

If we are going to do this in the Church, I think it needs to be Catholic… at the very least, not have something that is questionable at being in line with the Church and what the Church teaches.

Anyone have any ideas? Any resources I can use? Help!!!

First reduce food and fuel consumption to the greatest extent possible. Resist the temptation to run to the Aston-Martin dealership or cosmetic surgeon with the money you saved. Find a way to give alms (anonymously) to the poor and needy in your community.

Establish a daily prayer routine and organize a group that meets at least once weekly for public prayer. During Lent, the Rosary and Stations of the Cross are suitable devotions for both public and private use. On the “off” days, establish a time for all members to pray the same devotions privately. Morning (Lauds) and Evening (Vespers) prayers from Liturgy of the Hours may be substituted into - or added to - your daily prayer discipline.

Take no food whatsoever during Easter Triduum. Assist the Easter Vigil service at a traditional parish. Stand with your prayer group when you renounce Satan, all his works, and all his pompous displays. Receive Holy Communion. Offer thanks. Pray for good priests. Go to breakfast. Repeat.

 

[ZDHayden]

To add: given that we’re such meat lovers, its a bigger sacrifice to forgo meat the entire Lent. I think it will go a long way in helping us become stronger spiritually to fight of the temptation of sin, as we learn in the fight against the desire for meat.

very very true… 'tis something to consider.I hesitate in a definite commitment to such because I am the only Catholic (the only churchgoer for that matter) in my household. but perchance such a sacrifice would help the rest of my household come into the loving arms of our Lady.

 

[Apryl]

Some ideas:

1. In the Benedictine tradition (in fact in the Rule of St. Benedict), the Abbot assigns each monk a spiritual book to read during Lent; if you have a spiritual director you can ask him to suggest a book for you to read during Lent, preferably something from the Church fathers, or at least a book that is faithful to Catholic teaching;
2. The usual restrictions on intake of food (especially sweets, desserts and snacks) and alcohol are always spiritually useful (and, so soon after the Christmas season, often materially useful as well!)
3. Perform acts of charity; volunteer with a charitable organization, etc.
4. Increase your prayer life or take up a new prayer devotion; if you have never been exposed to the Liturgy of the Hours this might be a good time to explore that;
5. Remember to go to confession before Easter, or go more often if you regularly avail yourself of that sacrament (as we all should);
6. and most importantly, if you do give up something difficult for Lent and/or take up new and difficult devotions that take a bite out of your leisure time, do it with a smile on your face and joy in your heart as you are doing it for our Lord! And don’t beat yourself up if you backslide on any of your promises, remember He came for our frailties. Just try to pick yourself back up and move on.

Thank you!

The activities like #1, and #4 are what I’m looking for. The others are things we are SUPPOSED to do anyway, and the individuals would be doing that.

To all the other responses: Thank you so much.

It should be noted that I’m not looking for personal actions for me, but rather, something that groups of us can do at the church together, as an action of the Worship Commission. Many of your ideas may be morphed into group activities at some point, but if I think it could be good as a group action, but I’ve never done it as an individual, I won’t be doing it for 2011.

This is a great start… but I am hoping for more ideas. Maybe we’ll get parishes all across the country to be even more active.

Great ideas

 

[gatewood1988]

I am part of a group of book studying with the Sisters of St. Benedict and we are reading an amazing book called Lectio Matters by Mary Margaret Funk. It is a wonderful read and introduction to Lectio Divina. I would highly reccomend it for a Lenten read for a group or something

 

[ConstantineTG]

very very true… 'tis something to consider.I hesitate in a definite commitment to such because I am the only Catholic (the only churchgoer for that matter) in my household. but perchance such a sacrifice would help the rest of my household come into the loving arms of our Lady.

I just realized I’m in the middle of a vacation when Lent kicks in

 

[Apryl]

I am part of a group of book studying with the Sisters of St. Benedict and we are reading an amazing book called Lectio Matters by Mary Margaret Funk. It is a wonderful read and introduction to Lectio Divina. I would highly reccomend it for a Lenten read for a group or something

Are you reading it before Lent and discussing it during Lent, reading it during Lent, or reading and discussing it during Lent?

I’m trying to come up with my plan so that it can be presented to our parish in time enough to actually do what is being suggested.

 

[corsair]

Well, were are doing our fast throughout Lent, except Sundays. On Fridays our OF parish does a very nice soup supper and then Stations of the Cross, according to the Ligourian method.

Laetare Sunday our Altar is decked out in the dusty rose Altar frontal. When Holy week arrives, the wife and I are going to stay in Seattle to attend the entire weeks ceremonies at the North American Martyr’s parish (FSSP).

We attended part of Holy week last year at N.A.M. parish and it was magnificent. We, also, try to increase our giving.

And we’ll do Adoration every Thursday and an hour in front of Planned Parenthood praying for the unborn on Mondays.

 

[gatewood1988]

Are you reading it before Lent and discussing it during Lent, reading it during Lent, or reading and discussing it during Lent?

I’m trying to come up with my plan so that it can be presented to our parish in time enough to actually do what is being suggested.

It’s good for anytime of the year really, however it would be a great discussion topic once a week for Lent. It helps with getting into the penitential and meditative moods of Lent. Have people write or discuss their experiences with meditating on passages of scripture. They way we do it, is to read about 2 chapters a week and then discuss them at a weekly meeting, , apply what we have learned by getting into meditative studying of the Word at home until we meet again.