Lent starts tomorrow, and in preparing for it this year, I have found the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' statement on penitential practices very helpful (all quotes come from that document, which can be found here).
For Catholics, Lent entails three things: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Fasting is perhaps the most well-known of the three aspects, but there are the other two, which is why I try not to ask people what they are "giving up" for Lent but rather, "What are you doing for Lent?" I've worked out my Lenten plan ahead of time this year (rather than usual, when I wake up on Ash Wednesday morning and go "shoot! Lent's started and I don't have a plan.... ummmm, how about I give up ________? Yeah, that sounds good." This year, I feel like I should be more responsible for my spiritual growth (having reached the ripe old age of almost 22), so following my excerpts from the bishops, I'll post what I'm planning to do and why; I anticipate this working as a kind of accountability for me this Lent.
Prayer
Prayer, that process of listening to and responding to God's daily call, sustains and nurtures our relationship with our triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Without prayer, personal and communal, this relationship is diminished, sometimes to the point of complete silence on our part. Every day the Spirit of Jesus invites us to enter into that serious conversion that leads to blessed communion (USCCB).
My prayer plan is two-fold, with additions of devotion in both the morning and the evening. In the morning, I plan to read a chapter from the Gospels, starting with St. Matthew. In the evening, I'll pray the evening prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. This year, I've felt a tug to spend more time with the Scriptures, so I have chosen the Gospels for my morning reading. In high school, I spent a few days at Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina and fell in love with the Liturgy of the Hours; I have incorporated this into my practices in previous Lents and it has ended my days peacefully, connected to the Church's prayer in a special way.
Fasting
Fasting, a very special form of penance, and Jesus' second call, has been a consistent part of our Catholic tradition. Fasting assists us in getting our own house in order...By fasting and self-denial, by living lives of moderation, we have more energy to devote to God's purposes and a better self-esteem that helps us to be more concerned with the well-being of others...Rather, our fasting and refraining is in response to the workings of the Holy Spirit. By fasting we sense a deeper hunger and thirst for God. In a paradoxical way, we feast through fasting—we feast on the spiritual values that lead to works of charity and service (USCCB).
Deciding what I ought to fast from is always difficult for me. Do I give up something that I love or something that is keeping me from God? This year, I've decided that I need to do a little of both. For the thing I love, I'm giving up fancy coffee. No Starbucks, no Royal Bean, nothing but homemade coffee with a little sugar and skim milk. I'll talk about what I'm doing with the money I save in a minute.
Then there's the thing that is keeping me from God: criticism. I understand that I can't stop having an opinion, but I can stop expressing it, especially when it's to the detriment of people around me or people I come in contact with; instead of criticizing them, I'm going to try to treat them with love. The woman at the grocery store who was nasty to the cashier? Maybe she just received some bad news. The person who left some mess for me to clean up? Perhaps they were running late. You get the picture. Trying to love people despite the things they do that drive me crazy. If Jesus could offer Himself on the cross, I think I can be loving when I have to take out the trash or load the dishwasher or deal with someone I don't particularly care for.
Almsgiving
The third call of the Lord is to give alms. Jesus was always concerned about those who were poor and in need. He was impressed by the widow who, though having so little, shared her resources with others: "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood" (Lk 21:3-4). To be a disciple of Christ means to live a life of charity. To be a disciple of Jesus is to live a life of stewardship, generously giving of our time, talent, and treasure. (USCCB).
Here's where my money saved from not buying fancy coffee is going: Operation Rice Bowl. This organization is run by Catholic Relief Services and is a project that CRS does every Lent. 75% of the money that is donated goes to foreign countries (Lesotho, Bolivia, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia) and 25% stays in the diocese it's raised in (so North Carolina) to work to alleviate hunger and poverty in that diocese. I'll also be putting all of my spare change in there so that I'll have just a bit more to give those who have nothing.
So that's my Lenten plan. To conclude with one more quote from the bishops: Our Lord's threefold call to pray, to fast, and to give alms is richly interconnected. In prayer the Holy Spirit, always active in our lives, shows us those areas where we are not free—areas that call for penance—as well as those people who are in need of our care. Through fasting, our spirit becomes more open to hearing God's call, and we receive new energies for performing works of charity. Almsgiving puts us in contact with the needy whom we then bring back to God in prayer.
Happy Shrove Tuesday!
