Lent 2024: Let’s Prepare our Hearts
Even though it feels like we just wrapped up the Christmas season (I know some of us procrastinators have only just recently put away the last of our Christmas decorations), the liturgical season of Lent is right around the corner; in fact, it’s next week.
Lent tends to approach quicker than many anticipate it to. Every year, it seems to catch many Catholics off guard and unprepared. As a result, we may lean towards familiar and comfortable approaches to the Lenten season. While strictly giving up sweets and attending Fish Fry’s are good Lenten practices, resorting to them because they are simply “what I do every year” is not a good practice and can be hindering a deeper relationship with our Creator.
Let’s make this Lent different. God wants to encounter us in new and exciting ways this Lent. Let’s prepare our hearts to fully enter into the desert with Him.
Below are a few resources built around the three pillars of Lent: Fasting, Almsgiving, and Prayer. There are so many resources available to us in our Archdiocese through events and opportunities to grow in community, prayer and our faith.
FASTING
Consider fasting from something new this Lent. If you truly do struggle with saying no to sweets, give those up! If you find you waste too much time scrolling endlessly on social media, try giving it up these next 40 days. These acts of self-denial dispose us to free ourselves from worldly distractions, to express our longing for Jesus, and to somehow, in a small way, imitate His suffering.
- CCRS (Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services) of Manitoba will be leading a 40-day fasting experience this Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday. For more details or to register, click here.
ALMSGIVING
The definition of Almsgiving is “donating money or goods to the poor and performing other acts of charity.” If you are able to give financially to someone in need or an organization in need, Lent is a great time to do so. However, it can also be an opportunity to look at what you have an excess of. Maybe you can donate clothing that never gets worn and non-perishable foods in your storage that have piled up. Maybe all you have excess of is time. If that is the case, give of your time. It might just be a phone call to a lonely family member, but don’t underestimate the power of setting aside some time to show Christ’s love to others.
- If you’re looking for concrete ways to give of your time this Lent, Réseau Compassion Network is always looking for volunteers! They have a number of organizations with volunteering programs. To read more about them, click here.
PRAYER
The best way to grow and invest in a relationship with someone is to have conversations and check in with the other. The same is true for our relationship with God. He waits to hear from us. Whether it’s a 5-minute prayer from inside your car on the way to school or work, or an hour of sitting in front of Him in Adoration, He is so glad to hear from us. If prayer has been something that you have struggled with, there are many resources available. Below are some options specifically geared toward the Lenten season!
- From CCCB Publications:
- “Living Your Baptism in Lent- Weekly Reflections For Your Journey.” To purchase, click here.
- From Blessed Is She:
There are many, many opportunities to grow in your prayer through events happening in the Archdiocese, such as adoration nights, prayer groups, and more. Subscribe to our news bulletin by clicking here to hear about them as they come up.