Lent

​​Simply put, Lent is the forty day liturgical season before Easter (Fun Fact! Lent actually goes 46 days but of those 46 days, only 40 of them are fasting days). In 2018, it goes from February 14 to April 1. This happens every year and even non practicing Catholics tend to practice at least some of what is expected. Despite this, I think it’s important to re-education ourselves every so often on what we’re supposed to be doing and why we do them. So let’s remember what is suggested of able adults throughout this period.

First of, there are three pillars of the lenten season. Whatever you decide to do for lent, it will more than likely be able to fit into one of these categories.

1. Almsgiving

2. Fasting

3. Prayer

Almsgiving is a giving of time, money, or other resources. Though you should try your best to give to the Church to the best of your ability throughout the year, your lenten donations should be more than your monthly tithe. You can begin to give because you don’t any other time (no shame in that!), you raise it by one percent, or you decide to give something different than money (such as time or energy in volunteer work), or anything else special to you and the needs of your community!

Fasting is an act of self control. It is sometimes closely related to almsgiving in that while alms gives, fasting takes something away. This should be something

difficult for you to give up. Most people choose food of some sort- especially comfort food (such as chocolate), but it doesn’t have to be. To choose what to fast from this lent, thinking of what you might be addicted to, whether it’s literally or something you simply might have trouble being without.

On top of whatever ‘extra’ thing you decide to fast from, every healthy Catholic ages 18-59 should practice fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting on these days should be two small meals that, when added together, do not equal one normal sized meal. Every Friday during this season should also be a time of abstinence for anyone 14 and up. This abstinence is from meat (I would recommend a good fish fry!).

Prayer should need little explanation, but perhaps it does. In previous posts, I’ve both spoken of and alluded to the importance of praying regularly. Prayer can also be a huge crutch this lent as you might struggle with giving alms and fasting. When your self control might falter against whatever you fasted from, pray. Whenever your monetary or other alm hurts you, pray. If you don’t pray daily, I recommend that be one of the things you do for lent.

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Typically, I’m a huge believer in not broadcasting what I’m doing for lent. I prefer to keep it close to me, telling only a few people who I know will keep me accountable (which I completely recommend). But, because my fast this lent will affect this blog, as well as anyone close to me, I suppose I will tell you this one thing.

This lent I will fast from all social media and almost all screen time (*almost* because screen time is necessary for school work as well as making sure my parents don’t call the cops because I’ve fallen off the face of the earth). Therefore, there will be absolutely no posts or social posts of any kind from this blog and on my personal social media accounts.

I have mentioned very briefly that there will be large changes coming to this blog in the future. Those will be applied immediately after lent, so check in then!

Signing off for the last time,

Cecilia

P.S. if any family or friends wish to contact me, please do so over text- preferably on a Sunday so I can respond immediately (though any response on a Sunday will be brief and I will not want any large conversations via text so if you need to speak with me, please do so in person). If you would like to contact me over text but do not have my phone number, please ask over social media before Ash Wednesday or in person any time after. Thank you!

#Lent #Prayer #SocialMedia #Almsgiving #Fasting