LOOKING AHEAD TO LENT

Lent 2024 will begin on, of all days, February 14 (Ash Wednesday). It’s a day of fasting and abstinence. Valentine’s Day should be treated as a movable feast and celebrated properly on the day before or the day after.

For Catholics, fasting means eating one full meal with no meat and two lesser meals with no meat, but the two lesser meals should not together equal a full meal. Older people are technically exempt from fasting but are encouraged to do so if their health permits.

Fasting is an intense form of prayer, perhaps the most powerful. In our culture, its power has been forgotten. Besides fasting from food, one may fast from alcohol, or social media, or other small luxuries of this life. Lent is a great time to rediscover fasting.

Abstinence simply means eating no meat. Fish is not considered meat. However, I would advise against indulging in lobster or some other expensive seafood item and calling it abstinence.

I strongly encourage you to give something up for the entirety of Lent. Often, I hear people say that it’s just as acceptable to take on some spiritual project rather than give something up. I disagree. Spiritual projects for Lent are great, but not as a replacement for the age old custom of letting go of something for the season of Lent. I plan to give up Facebook for Lent.

I would also encourage you to do spiritual reading during the season of Lent. We are living in an amazing period of Catholic writing. Simply Google Catholic authors and see the wealth of options. You can also commit to reading more scripture during Lent. Perhaps one of the Gospels, or all of the Psalms. Daily Mass attendance is a great spiritual project for Lent. Our daily Mass schedule is such that you have morning and evening options. Daily Mass is a quiet Mass, and, of course, brief. Those who have a devotion to daily Mass tend to be rather prayerful people. Lastly, pray at least one decade of your rosary each day of Lent. The rosary will bring you closer to Jesus through his mother Mary.

Have a great Lent!!