2014 Lent Plans

Who's ready to Lent it up with me!
Image from Catholic All Year

I think I feel this way every Lent and I always have to take a step back and look at what I have committed myself to!  It is important to strike a balance between true sacrifice for yourself, and doing something that negatively affects the rest of your family and causes a "forced sacrifice" to them as well.

For instance, when I first started planning for Lent this year I thought about joining a weekly bible study, attending Eucharistic Adoration once a week, and offering my time to the pro-life movement.  Um.  Yeah.  I think I temporarily forgot that I have kids and a husband, and oh yeah, homeschool too.  While I MIGHT be able to do all that, my family time would suffer and it is just not realistic.  My vocation as a wife, mother, and teacher means that right now, serving my family takes precedence over serving the rest of the community.  And that is ok!  It is a good thing!

I began thinking of the three themes of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.  After a lot of prayer and discernment, I've come up with a list of ways to prepare my heart and soul for Jesus during this Lenten season (that won't negatively impact my family!).

Prayer
1.  Hello Mornings Challenge - I began this challenge last week.  The goal is to wake up early and to use the time to grow closer to God.  Along with personal prayer, I have been using my Laudate App to read the daily Mass readings, about the Saint of the day, and to pray Lauds.  I will continue this through the Lenten season.  It helps me start the day in the right frame of mind, and ensures that Jesus if foremost in my thoughts and words throughout the day.

2.  Praying with the Children - As a family we will pray a Decade of the Rosary every evening, and the Stations of the Cross on Fridays.

Fasting
1.  No Added Sugar - I am cutting refined and added sugar from my diet.  I have a true addiction and am truly commiting the sin of gluttony.  I am looking to Jesus' fasting in the desert as my model for abstinence.

2.  40 Bags in 40 Days - I hope to get rid of the material junk cluttering up my house and mind by trashing or donating a bag of excess from my home each day of Lent.  I hope that simplifying my surroundings will give me the clarity and peace to grow closer to God.

3.  Sacrificing Social Media - I am restricting my Facebook and Pinterest time so that I can focus more on my family.

Almsgiving
1.  Patience - In serving my family I hope to increase my patience and serve with love instead of anger or irritability.

2.  Tithe - This is so awful, I am ashamed to admit it.  We stopped tithing about two years ago when our church gave the option of Automatic EFT.  We cancelled our envelopes, filled out the EFT paperwork....and forgot to turn it in.  And forgot.  And forgot.  And forgot.  And here it is two years later and we still have not turned it in.  I can't believe we have let it lapse so long, but we are more than ready to start giving our first fruits to God again!

Thanks for reading!  What are your plans for Lent?

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Monica at Equipping Catholic Families (on Facebook) 

Chris at Campfires and Cleats (on Facebook)

Tina at Truly Rich Mom (on Facebook) 

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