How To Get More Out Of Lent… Don’t Just Give Something Up.

If you’ve ever said to yourself, “There’s got to be more to Lent than just giving something up. I think I’d get more out of Lent if I did something this year, instead of giving up something”, you’re not the only one. 
 
That “there’s got to be more to Lent” feeling is spot on! There is more to Lent. As a matter of fact, the Church teaches that “giving something up” – more traditionally called “fasting” – is just one of three pillars of Lent. Lent is about refocusing our lives on the love of God and the love of others by working to grow in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let’s tackle these “pillars” one by one.
 
Prayer – Like everything else in the spiritual life, prayer is about building relationship. It’s not just a set of memorized prayers that we recite – although those are certainly important. Prayer is about spending time with God and growing in our relationship with Him. As with any relationship, we need to take time to talk to the one we love, listen to what they have to say, and even to say “I’m sorry” every now and then. This Lent you can take time to grow in prayer by praying the Stations of the Cross, going to Confession, spending an hour in Eucharistic Adoration, or maybe even attending a weekday Mass in addition to Sunday Mass.


 
Fasting – This is what most of us think of when we think of Lent. Abstinence from meat on all Fridays of Lent… Fasting from an entire meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday… That whole “giving up something for Lent” bit… But why do we fast? Fasting helps us to simplify our lives. Think of how much time and energy we spend worrying about what we’re going to eat for dinner. Think of how much time we spend watching TV or surfing on social media. Fasting helps us to reclaim that time and redirect it to where it matters most.
 
Almsgiving – It doesn’t have to be all about the money. That is certainly part of it. But it can also be about giving God more of our time, or using our God-given talents to help build the Kingdom. If God has blessed you financially, why not find ways to share that wealth with others? If God has given you a special talent, maybe there’s a way you can use that talent to spread the Gospel. If you have some extra time perhaps you can visit the elderly in nursing homes, bring Communion to the sick in hospitals, or attend our parish’s Lenten Study on the Mass. These are all legitimate forms of almsgiving.
 
As you prepare for Lent this year, we’d like to challenge you to keep these three pillars in mind. Use them to redirect your energy towards growing in love for God and others. How can you deepen your prayer life this Lent? What has become an obstacle in your life that you can “fast” from – something that is blocking your relationship with God and others? How can you devote more of your time, talent, and/or treasure to serving God and others? As you think on these, Lent will become about more than just “giving something up.” It’ll be a season of true personal and spiritual growth.