How will your Lent go?

In general, you get out what you put in. You Lent will go as well as you to give it. Now, this does not mean to try to do everything. One does not enter a weight room and start with the heaviest weights. And this does not mean to do just a little. You do not enter a weight room and pickup weights well-below what you can handle. So, put into Lent what you can, but make sure that it challenges you.

Today is a great day to determine what you can and will put into Lent. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the pillars of Lent, so doing some form or combination of those would be a great place to start, but remember the reason first.

So, what is the reason for giving towards your Lent? There are multiple reasons. First, we do so in solidarity. As one universal (Catholic) Church, we do Lent as together. On Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent, we join in the same gift. We give the gift of fasting and/or abstinence to Our God. The children offer back to their heavenly Father one gift from all.

Second, we individually give to our heavenly Father. This is much more intimate, but no less worthwhile. We tell God, we love you more than this that I give up, which I do for you. Sure, it may not always be much, but doing Lent intentionally for love of God will get you more out of Lent.

If you put love into Lent, no matter how small or broken, you will be amazed with the love that you receive out of Lent. For God cannot give any love other than the most pure and powerful love, since He is Love! ("God is love" - 1 John 4:8)