This list was posted on a focus website which I thought I would share with you, in case you are looking for suggestions for Lent.
Remember, Lent is not a self-improvement program (although you will likely self-improve!) Lent is a time when we practice self-denial through the three elements of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
It is actually a beautiful time in the Church. I hope you will take some time to open your heart and mind to God's will and that you find this to be a very fruitful time. Take a look at the list below for some helpful ideas.
In St. Dominic,
Janet
What
Should I Do For Lent? Pope Francis' 10 Tips
Every year Catholics try to answer the
age old question: What should I do for Lent? Well, who better to pick for as
your Lenten spiritual director than Pope Francis? He has some great ideas for
you!
Here we selected 10 of his best tips:
Here we selected 10 of his best tips:
1. Get rid of the lazy addiction
to evil
“[Lent] is a ‘powerful’ season, a
turning point that can foster change and conversion in each of us. We all need
to improve, to change for the better. Lent helps us and thus we leave behind
old habits and the lazy addiction to the evil that deceives and ensnares us.” –
General Audience, March 5, 2014
2. Do something that hurts
“Lent is a fitting time for
self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to
help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty
hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust
a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.” – Lenten Message, 2014
3. Don’t remain indifferent
“Indifference to our neighbor and to
God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent
we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our
conscience. God is not indifferent to our world; he so loves it that he gave
his Son for our salvation.” –Lenten Message, 2015
4. Pray: Make our hearts like
yours!
“During this Lent, then, brothers and
sisters, let us all ask the Lord: ‘Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum’: Make
our hearts like yours (Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). In this
way we will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous,
a heart which is not closed, indifferent or prey to the globalization of
indifference.” – Lenten Message, 2015
5. Take part in the sacraments
“Lent is a favorable time for letting
Christ serve us so that we in turn may become more like him. This happens
whenever we hear the word of God and receive the sacraments, especially the
Eucharist. There we become what we receive: the Body of Christ.” – Lenten
Message, 2015
6. Prayer
“In the face of so many wounds that
hurt us and could harden our hearts, we are called to dive into the sea of
prayer, which is the sea of God’s boundless love, to taste his tenderness. Lent
is a time of prayer, of more intense prayer, more prolonged, more assiduous,
more able to take on the needs of the brethren; intercessory prayer, to
intercede before God for the many situations of poverty and suffering.” –
Homily, March 5, 2014
7. Fasting
“We must be careful not to practice
a formal fast, or one which in truth ‘satisfies’ us because it makes us feel
good about ourselves. Fasting makes sense if it questions our security, and
if it also leads to some benefit for others, if it helps us to cultivate the
style of the Good Samaritan, who bends down to his brother in need and takes
care of him.” – Homily, March 5, 2014
8. Almsgiving
“Today gratuitousness is often not part
of daily life where everything is bought and sold. Everything is calculated and
measured. Almsgiving helps us to experience giving freely, which leads to
freedom from the obsession of possessing, from the fear of losing what we have,
from the sadness of one who does not wish to share his wealth with others.” –
Homily, March 5, 2014
9. Help the Poor
“In the poor and outcast we see
Christ’s face; by loving and helping the poor, we love and serve Christ. Our
efforts are also directed to ending violations of human dignity, discrimination
and abuse in the world, for these are so often the cause of destitution. When
power, luxury and money become idols, they take priority over the need for a
fair distribution of wealth. Our consciences thus need to be converted to
justice, equality, simplicity and sharing.” – Lenten Message, 2014
10. Evangelize
“The Lord asks us to be joyous heralds
of this message of mercy and hope! It is thrilling to experience the joy of
spreading this good news, sharing the treasure entrusted to us, consoling
broken hearts and offering hope to our brothers and sisters experiencing
darkness.” – Lenten Message, 2014
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