Lent: Practicing Spiritual Discipline and Sacrifice for Salvation

By February, the cold and gray skies can feel overwhelming. The snow, the chill, and the sense of waiting for something better can leave us longing for spring. Thankfully, the start of Spring Training for baseball offers a glimmer of hope—a promise of warmer days, outdoor activities, and the renewal of life.

But for us as Catholics, February and March offer something even greater: the sacred season of Lent, the time of preparation for the resurrection of Christ at Easter. Lent is a season filled with challenges and opportunities for spiritual growth. If we hope to make it to the "spiritual Big Leagues"—our ultimate goal of Heaven—we need to develop discipline and "spiritual skills." Lent is our spiritual training camp, preparing us to face life’s challenges with grace and faith.

The Question of Sacrifice

Growing up in Catholic schools, one of the most common questions every Lent was: *What are you giving up for Lent?* On one of his podcasts, Father Mike Schmitz humorously recalls a childhood friend who would give up watermelon for Lent. For those unfamiliar, Father Mike grew up in Minnesota—where watermelons in February are, well, scarce. And yet, we’ve all known someone like that from our schoolyards!

While giving up chocolate, candy, or alcohol is a great introduction to the concept of sacrifice, Lent should challenge us to strive for something deeper. After all, this is preparation for eternal life! Lent isn’t simply about "giving something up"—it’s about allowing God to transform us through our sacrifices.

So, what does sacrifice mean in the Catholic-Christian sense?

Understanding Sacrifice Requires Understanding Suffering

I didn’t fully grasp the role of sacrifice in salvation until I read Evelyn Underhill’s The School of Charity. (If you’ve read my other reflections on Catholic365, you’ll know I reference her often—helped me place many pieces of our faith into the larger picture.)

Underhill describes suffering as a test of faith and a means of transformation. She explains that God uses suffering and death itself to transform us into the divine beings we are meant to be. Jesus showed us this path through His Passion and death. He embraced the ultimate sacrifice, transcending His human body into His glorified body through suffering and death. Underhill beautifully describes this concept of God using suffering to transform us:

"Suffering has its place within the Divine purpose and is transfigured by the touch of God. A desperate crisis, the demand for total self-giving, a willingness to risk everything, an apparent failure, darkness and death—all these are likely to be incidents of the spiritual course."

When we experience loss, pain, or injustice, we often go through a range of emotions—grief, anger, despair. That's normal - that's being human. But as Catholics, our reaction to suffering is what sets us apart. I once watched a true-crime show where a family asked the Judge to show mercy to the man who had brutally murdered their loved one and to spare him from the death penalty. Their forgiveness wasn’t born out of a lack of loss, pain or anger; it was born out of their love for God. Our response to suffering is a way of giving ourselves to God so that He can shape us into the saints He calls us to be.

Sacrifices Prepare Our Response to Suffering

Lent is our time to make sacrifices — i.e., purposeful suffering—so that when God calls us in moments of challenge, we are ready to respond. At times, I’ve failed in these moments. I remember walking past a man in a wheelchair outside a Catholic church one night in New York. He was struggling to wrap his injured foot, and I felt uneasy. It was dark, I didn’t feel safe, and I had a train to catch. So, I kept walking. I missed the opportunity to answer God's call.

To atone for my failure, I later volunteered to distribute food to the homeless in difficult neighborhoods. I felt good about this act of service, but even then God had a way of humbling me. That day I worked alongside an 88-year-old woman who had been doing this work regularly, even on cold February days.

I’m still a work in progress, but Lent gives me the chance to grow closer to God. That's why in recent years I have tried to make a more serious effort during Lent to improve myself. Specifically, I try to do three things:

1. Perform Regular Acts of Charity

Sacrifice your time to serve others. Regularly visit someone who is lonely—an elderly neighbor, a relative, or a friend. Offer to grocery shop for someone in need. Volunteer at a food pantry or homeless shelter. Find ways to give of yourself to those who need you. You may do many of these things in the normal course of your life, but during Lent you are being given the opportunity to elevate your game.

2. Develop a New Spiritual Habit

Choose something you’ll continue beyond Lent. If you’ve been away from Mass or Confession, return to the sacraments. Learn a new prayer or devotion. Start reading Scripture daily—perhaps 20 minutes a day or through a program like the *Bible in a Year*. Study the virtues, make it a habit to or attend the Stations of the Cross regularly. Here's the kicker, the new spiritual habits continue after Lent and become part of your routine. It becomes part of you.

3. Give Alms with Intention

Tie your almsgiving to a sacrifice. For example, if you give up eating out or going to the bar, donate the money you save to your parish, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus, Pro-Life groups or other organizations aligned with our faith. Or, use it to directly help someone in need—buy a meal for a homeless person or support a struggling family.

Observing Lenten Practices

In addition to your personal Lenten commitments, Catholics are asked to observe certain practices:

- Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
- Receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday (and wearing them throughout the day as a witness of faith).
- Abstaining from meat on Fridays.
- Attending Holy Thursday and Good Friday services.

These practices aren't inherently difficult, but how do you approach them? Do you see them as burdensome, complain, or opt out because they aren't Holy Days of Obligation? Instead, embrace them as chances to deepen your Faith. When sacrifices feel challenging, offer them for souls in purgatory, the sick, or those in need of healing. In the end, Lenten sacrifices help us to develop that discipline that when God calls us to action or challenges us with suffering, we respond with love, respect and charity.

Closing Thoughts 

Lent is a time of transformation—a time to grow closer to God by embracing sacrifice, charity, and prayer. It’s not meant to be easy, it is meant to prepare us for eternity. As you journey through this sacred season, may your sacrifices and efforts help you grow in holiness and bring you closer to the glory of the Resurrection.

I pray that these ideas inspire you to have a meaningful Lent, one that strengthens your faith and honors God. Together, let’s strive to bring our spiritual A-game to the field—because we’re playing for something far greater than a trophy. We’re playing for Heaven.