Prepare Well for a Good Lent

Dear Friend,

Sometimes we lament the missed opportunity of a Lent that we didn’t prepare for sufficiently. I’m speaking of preparations that matter, the ones that affect us spiritually and emotionally, body, soul, and spirit. 

Lent is not a season just to get through. It’s also not a season we can get back if we lose the chance to benefit spiritually from it. So we must prepare. 

These preparations can take many forms, but here are a few ideas for your personal discernment as Ash Wednesday approaches: 

• Take the three pillars of Lent—Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving—seriously this year. If all you did was to live these virtuous practices fully, your Lent would be transformative. 
• Decide ahead of time for whom you will offer your Lenten intentions. Fr. Jeff Kirby suggested that we walk the Stations of the Cross this Lent specifically for our loved ones and friends who have left the Catholic Faith. Great idea! We can add specific intentions to any devotional practice and to our Lent as a whole. 
• Prior to going to Mass, read and meditate on the readings for a few moments, especially as we get closer to Holy Week. The Lenten readings put a spotlight on some of the greatest figures of our faith (Our Lady, the prophets, John the Baptist) and give us new insight into their influence in our own lives. 
• Above all, pray for the actual grace to set all your desires on doing God’s will and receiving His gifts in the way that God wants to give them to you. 

There are a hundred other things we can do, of course, but each person’s personal discernment should complement and augment the basic schedule of spiritual exercises the Church gives us. 

Lenten Reflection 2025

In Lent we journey toward a joyous goal, Easter, but first we must walk the pilgrim way and discipline ourselves so that we are both worthy of that great joy and capable of receiving it. 

Lent, in that sense, becomes a metaphor for our whole life’s journey as we make our way through this earthly “valley of tears” to our ultimate destiny of Heaven. 

The Church Militant lives in Lent. The Church Triumphant glories in the grace of Heaven. We want to keep our focus on our end point. 

With that in mind, let’s make our Lenten preparation count this year so that we don’t miss the opportunity for an abundance of grace when we arrive at our goal, both temporal and eternal!

Your friend in Christ,

Thomas McKenna

Founder and President

Catholic Action For Faith And Family
https://www.catholicaction.org/

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