Countdown to Lent

Countdown to Lent

To Change and to change for the better are two different things. ~ German Proverb

  Yes, I did say countdown to Lent. The start of Lent is less then a month away. On February 13, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. So, with it being a month away still, why am I bringing it up now? It is simple. We need to prepare for Lent. Lent is my favorite season of the Church. It is when I am able to focus more on Christ then any other time of year. Lent changes me and sets my path straight again. That inner compass of my soul resets itself and the true direction is sought. 

     Lent is the time of the year when we pick up our cross and follow Christ on His walk to Calvary. This is a time for us to seek Him through prayer, fasting, and sacrifices. Each of those three we are called to do during this time. 

     Prayer during Lent should increase. Take more time out of the day to pray and speak to Jesus. Learn some new ways to pray. Try both informal and formal prayer. Remember that when you are having a conversation with Christ, that is prayer. Try some formal prayer, if you do not do already like the rosary, the office, and novenas. Expand your prayer life and if you are consistent with this during Lent, it will be easier for it to become part of your everyday life after. Another suggestion for prayer is to read about the saints and pray what lessons you may learn from them. Look into their prayer lives and see if something speaks to you for you to explore. There is nothing but good that can come from an expanded prayer life.  

       Fasting is more then just fasting from food in the modern world. Yes, fasting from food is a great thing to do but there are other kinds of fasting we can do that will help us during Lent. We can fast from our phones, tv, computers, games, etc... This is a hard one I know. Take some time and turn off the phone or tv and make that time for prayer. Instead of playing some game, read a passage from the bible. Try not checking facebook as often. Fast from those things that fill your time. I am not saying to fast from them completely or that it is wrong that we use them. I will find it hard to fast from all of these myself. It can be just a ten minute time away from technology that you just focus on Christ. Then if you can expand that time away from those things. Fasting can be from anything in your life that you feel that you can not live without. 

       Sacrifice is a favored topic of mine for Lent. I do not mean any disrespect by my next statement at all. This is my own opinion that I apply to my own life. I do not understand sacrificing candy, soda, caffeine, etc for forty days and on day forty-one to go back to what you sacrificed. Lent is a time to change our souls not just our waist line. Now, I think that if that is something that you feel binds you to the sin of gluttony then that is very different. If it is in addition to adding or doing other things then again that is different. Now, if it is just giving up gum or candy and that is the extant of the sacrifice, then I must say maybe rethink what Lent is to you. Sacrifice is to give up one thing for another that is considered to be of greater value. In this case that great value is Salvation. So, really does giving up sweets equal the magnitude of salvation? How about giving up time to come closer to Christ? Sacrifice to make a change in your life and for your soul. You will gain more from lent by making true sacrifices for Christ. 

      Lent is a time for change. Christ changed our fate in life when He died on the cross for us and gave us salvation. This is that time during the year where we can focus our heart, soul and mind on Christ so that we may come to a deeper and closer relationship with Christ. There is much to be gained in forty days. I hope this gives you some thought on what you want to do for Lent and the time to focus on those things before Lent begins. 

Until Tomorrow, God Bless, and may this Lent bring us all closer to Christ.