How to Celebrate Lent: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Lent is a very important time of the liturgical year in the various Christian confessions. It is the forty-day period that, commemorating the Savior's sacrifice, leads to the death and resurrection of Jesus. During Lent, Catholics and some Protestants prepare for Holy Week by fasting, praying and drawing closer to the Lord. These forty days are a wonderful time to reflect and allow yourself to lift up your cross, as Jesus did.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Focus on your own spirituality

Step 1. Decide on your Lenten sacrifice

Lent is a solemn moment that sanctifies the sacrifice, commemorating the exodus of Jesus in the desert. The sacrifice we choose to make, therefore, is reminiscent of Jesus' sacrifice made to save us from our sins. For this reason it is traditional to sacrifice something during the 40 days of Lent.

• Think of all the mundane things in your life that take your attention away from God. Do you find that you are wasting your time texting and constantly updating your online profile rather than praying to God? Do you have the habit of eating junk food in large quantities? What could you give up in your life?

  

• For the record, in 2019 Lent starts from March 6, or from Ash Wednesday, and ends on April 18, that is Holy Thursday. Easter comes the following Sunday.

  

Step 2. In addition to sacrificing something, do something special in your daily Lenten period

Not eating chocolate anymore or logging on to Facebook for 40 days would be great, but why not do something positive instead of just deleting what you think is negative? You can decide to dedicate more time to volunteer, to your family, to pray more, or to draw close to your faith in some way.

• Some families decide to save the superfluous during these days and to do something with the money saved up. For example, donate them to the church or a charity in your city or spend them on people in need. It is a nice gesture to dedicate oneself above all to people who cannot sacrifice anything.

  

Step 3. Go to mass as often as possible

In addition to Sunday mass, it is good to go to church more often, especially during Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, when the coming and passing of man in the dust are commemorated. Many traditions often add other liturgies celebrated during the week, and attending them is a good way to share Lent.

• If you plan on going to church multiple times during Lent, consider Ash Wednesday and Thursday and Good Friday (or both).

  

Step 4. Reconciliation will allow you to strengthen your relationship with Christ

Reconciliation or confession is a great way to get away from sin and reunite with Christ. If you have not yet done so, try to confess regularly. The Catholic Church has made it mandatory that all the faithful receive the sacrament of penance at least once a year and once during Lent, although it is recommended that they go to confession at least once a month, if possible.

• Your church probably offers a confessional service every week, if not more often during this time of the year. If you're not sure when to go, get the local paper or make a phone call! You can also make a confession privately.

  

Step 5. Increase your devotion

Even if it is not required, increasing one's devotion is an exceptional opportunity to prepare for Lent. The Church greatly encourages love for God, the Virgin and the saints. In your parish, Eucharistic adoration probably takes place regularly, during which you can indulge deeply in prayer while attending the sacrament of the Eucharist. To profess your devotion, you can say a dozen Hail Marys a day or pray for your patron saint.

• Each prayer, as long as it means something to you, is a step in the direction intended by God. If you feed your prayer with what it communicates to you, dedicate your time to focus on what it truly means and how you can embody it in your daily life.

  

Step 6. Spend your time reflecting and examining yourself

Christmas and Easter are liturgical times of happiness and joy. The same cannot be said of Lent, which is a period characterized by solemn sobriety. It is the time to reflect on your dependence on God's mercy and on your awareness of faith. During this time, reflect on how to embody Christ's message.

• To top it all off, Lent, in most of the world, comes during winter - when the gaze out of the window becomes a sad reminder of the tribulations that Jesus suffered for our happiness.

  

Part 2 of 3: Part 2: Participate in the Lenten liturgy

Step 1. Fast and abstain

All Catholics aged 14 and over are called to refrain from eating meat on the Fridays of Lent - only fish is allowed. Furthermore, Catholics between 18 and 59 years old are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and on all Fridays of Lent, consuming only one large meal a day. Follow this precept even if you feel your thinking confident and strong.

• Some people should absolutely not fast, such as pregnant women or the elderly, for example. If you feel that fasting is not a sensible choice for you, refrain from anything other than food. Look for a challenge - such as the phone or e-mail - so that you feel the sacrifice you are making.

  

• In principle, fasting must be considered as a voluntary action. Back in 1966, Pope Paul VI made fasting compulsory only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday - on other occasions it is at the discretion of the faithful.

  

Step 2. Volunteering to feed the poor is a great way to live by the Christian message

Make the commitment. While many people choose to stop negative things during Lent, you may try to make a good habit, such as being more patient and kind to your neighbor, or devoting yourself to caring for the poor. Whether you choose to sacrifice something or adopt a new behavior that strengthens your temperament, you should make sure that the promises made for Lent help increase your faith and the quality of your life.

• In addition to improving your life, make new habits improve the lives of others as well. Volunteer at a hospital or care facility, or you can help your church by offering to welcome, read, or take care of offerings.

  

Step 3. Prepare to celebrate the Seder

Although some consider it a purely Jewish tradition, this is not the case! On Holy Thursday (when the washing of the feet is celebrated) many Catholics prepare this meal for dinner, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus - that is, on the last day of Lent. Consume it in silence accompanied with unleavened bread and wine (or grape juice), reflecting on Lenten experiences: how much has Lent changed you?

• If you prefer to add a little history, you can eat matzah (unleavened bread), maror (horseradish roots), eggs or haroset (apples, spices and a mixture of red wine) as part of the Easter dinner.

  

Step 4. Promote a community almsgiving project

Lots of communities participate in things like Operation Rice Bowl with which they help people in need. It is possible that your church has something like this planned - otherwise start the project yourself! This is the perfect time to focus on making the world better, just like Jesus did.

• Any charity can start your project. All you need to do is get your parish to participate. Talk to your priest and see if he can help you get people to support a good cause.

  

Part 3 of 3: Bring Lent into the house

Step 1. Add purple ornaments

Purple is the color of Lent - four steps in any church will give you a clear idea. Add a few touches of purple around the house as a reminder of the significance of these 40 days.

• But don't overdo it - Lent isn't really a time to celebrate excess. A few candles or a purple table cover - no coarseness or flashy and useless stuff. It is a time of reserve and preparation to grow. Save the excess for Easter!

  

Step 2. Organize a calendar for Lent

It will help you mark and focus on the days that pass as you approach the time of Jesus' resurrection. Lent lasts 40 days and does not include Sundays. It ends on the Friday before Easter (the last day is Holy Thursday); do the countdown from here.

• Hang the calendar in a walkway area of the house. A box ticks every day. As you approach Easter, what are your feelings? Are the sacrifices you are making difficult to keep?

  

Step 3. Eat Lenten dishes

As in any tradition, food plays a fundamental part. You can keep in mind a couple of ideas to commemorate this period:

• Make hot cross-shaped buns. They are usually prepared on Good Friday - but you can make them in advance!

  

• Make homemade soft pretzels. Their shape resembles the crossed arms during prayer.

  

• Of course, you could always prepare some food for needy families or people who attend the care center in your city.

Step 4. Eat one frugal meal a week

In addition to fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, you can have a frugal meal each week, such as a simple bowl of rice and a glass of milk instead of the usual family banquet. Limiting yourself will help keep in mind what's normal for you - emphasizing that it's not normal for others. What we forget too easily!

• Again, follow dietary restrictions only if it is advisable for you. If you are unsure, consult a doctor first. Jesus doesn't want you to sacrifice your health!

  

Step 5. Burn the palm trees of last year's Palm Sunday

At the beginning of Lent burn the palm trees that you have kept since Palm Sunday last year. Keep them in a bowl on your dining table (or where they can serve you as a reminder) to reflect on the life and death of Jesus. During each meal, you will feel a natural need for gratitude for the good things you have.

Advice

• Interrupting something for Lent is not a religious order. Some communities or people acquire a new way of doing or modify something habitual, or simplify a part of their life. It is about looking inward along a spiritual path together with Christ to prepare for the coming of Easter.
• Traditionally, Lent is the period in which those who are thinking of becoming Christians become aware of their faith and prepare for baptism. Therefore, many churches give lessons on the meaning of faith, ideal for learning or for reviving the awareness of being Christian.