It’s the question we are all asking each other right about now. And yes, giving up something we enjoy such as sweets, coffee, or our favorite TV show is a great start. These external penances are a necessary part of the season—and should be a part of our lives in some way throughout the year.
But what else can we do to actively cultivate virtue and really target our faults this Lent? How can we take our penances to the next level?
Here are 5 ideas that might prove a bit challenging—but try ‘em out and you’ll be enjoying some sweet spiritual fruit soon!
1. Mortify your will through the practice of obedience. Obedience takes different forms depending on our state in life. Those in religious life must obey their religious superiors, and children their parents. As lay adults, we can do it by cheerfully serving our spouse and children, fulfilling our assigned tasks at work, or simply allowing others to go first in the buffet line!
2. Attend especially to the tasks you don’t like doing. Padre Pio was once visited by the soul of a young friar who had worked in the sacristy. The soul revealed that he suffered in purgatory because he’d been careless and negligent with his work. Complete every task meticulously, no matter how small and insignificant.
3. Embrace annoyances. Annoyances abound in this life. Little flaws in other people especially provoke us to fixate on our aggravation. Very often the flaws are faults that we also are guilty of, but which we tolerate in ourselves. Over the next few weeks, when something in another person annoys you, examine yourself and discern how you, too, act or feel or think in that way.
4. Impose a strict watch on your tongue. Innumerable, mundane complaints escape our mouths daily, fostering ingratitude—so guard your tongue and inspect what you want to say before speaking.
5. Check impulsive actions. Be intentional in all that you do, asking yourself, “Do I really need to shoot off this text? Will this comment help anyone? Will I benefit from thoughtlessly popping snacks in my mouth?”
Lent is a long season and it’s easy to grow weary—why not go through it as a family and help each other along? Our 40 Days of Lent Family Card Pack provides the whole family with tools for a fruitful Lent. For adults—40 prayer cards, each featuring a powerful Lenten quote. For kids—40 project cards, each suggesting a sacrifice or activity befitting the season. Prepare your family for Lent today at The Catholic Company
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
This week there is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will be observing the Feast Day for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Friday at 8:30 a.m. There will be a Vigil Mass on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Also, Christmas falls on a Monday this year which means the faithful are obligated to participate in the Mass once for the Sunday and once on the holy day. Believe it or not, I have already heard the Catholic angst. “Oh, my goodness! I have to go to two Masses in three days!” Really? Are you starting your own opera here? That’s a lot of drama over nothing. If you don’t like the Mass, you won’t like Heaven. The same Lord appears in both places. You’ll be fine. In fact, you’ll be better than fine; you’ll be fantastic. So, please come.
Just like Lent, Advent is a season for penance. Because it is a penitential season, I’m wearing violet – not purple – violet. Because this is a season of penance, we will not be saying the Gloria during the Mass. Advent is a time for reflection and preparing our souls for the coming of our Lord in the flesh. When He comes again it will be to take us to Heaven.
On Friday I was visiting a man in hospice. I asked him how he was doing, and he said, “ho hum.” At least he didn’t say “fine.” I hate it when they do that. So, we were talking, and I asked him how old he was. I found out that he had been in the Army, and I asked if he had been in Vietnam. He said, “No. My brother took an extra tour there so I wouldn’t have to go.” We kept talking, and I asked him if he was ready for what may happen. When I’m talking to hospice patients, I never use the “D” word. If they want to talk about it, they will bring it up. But I don’t take away that crutch from people until they are ready. Some patients have stabilized, gone home, and lived a lot longer. You don’t know where people are on that spectrum. Some people never reach the acceptance stage and need that crutch. So, I asked him, “Are you ready for whatever might come?” He said, “Yeah.” I said “Okay,” and we talked a bit more.
In one of his letters, Saint Paul said, “I don’t know if I wish to stay in the body or be at home with Christ” (Philippians 1:21-22). He wasn’t sure if he should stay in his body to continue the work of the Church or go be with Christ. Paul was torn but he was ready for anything. During this penitential season, perhaps that can be a good meditation for us all, as in my question to that sick man: “Are you ready for what may happen?” Or as in Saint Paul’s statement: I do not know whether it would be better to stay in my body to build up the Church on Earth or go to Heaven. Are we ready for whatever may come?
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.” Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
Were you motivated to have a life-changing Lent this Ash Wednesday, only to find that—a few weeks in—you’re failing? Fr. Mark-Mary walks you through one change you can make that could change your entire Lent: dedication.
Lent has begun and with it our season of penance and fasting. What are you planning on giving up or adding to your spiritual life?
Today, Fr. Mike helps us understand that Lent is less like a crockpot—which you can set and forge—and more like an ongoing, iterative process that requires our continual discernment about how we are drawing closer to Jesus.
Fr. Mike knows the tricks we can play on ourselves when it comes to picking something for Lent. So he gives a straightforward guideline: Don’t pick something that’s arbitrary. Pick something that is necessary.
In other words, don’t say you’re giving up watermelon when you know you will hardly eat watermelon anyway; and don’t give up hot showers if you know cold showers actually won’t help you grow in holiness.
We can easily fool ourselves into thinking strictness equates to holiness. Likewise, we can fall into the trap of thinking that the easiest thing will be the most helpful.
What do I really need to do or give up for Lent? If I take an honest look inside myself, it may be something difficult, but I will know.
A daily rosary might not be difficult… until that family vacation. Cold showers aren’t so bad… until that cold snap. Charitable giving feels great… until finances are tight.
Today, Fr. Mike invites us to let Lent interrupt us. Lent is inconvenient because Love is inconvenient. If we give more this Lent, we’ll get more than we ever have before.
On Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation. It’s a “good to do” and not a “must do.” Ashes will be given only at 8:30 am and 6:30 pm. There will be no “drive-thru” ashes or “ashes to go” given. Also, you cannot drive into the parking lot, beep the horn, and expect to receive ashes. There are some places that actually do that. It’s a Sacramental just like Holy Water and not mandatory. We’d love for you to come to Mass to begin the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday there is a “black fast” for those younger than 59 (I’m 69) which means you cannot eat between meals, and you can have only one full meal for the day considering your medical circumstances of course. Nobody can eat meat on Ash Wednesday and on Holy Fridays during Lent. You don’t have to eat fish although I do. Did I tell you I that I hate fish? On Fridays, we will have Lenten dinners which will be followed by Stations of the Cross.
Lent is a season of penance, and we are supposed to do works of penance or self-punishment to atone for our sins and the sins of others. The season of Lent is not a “self-help” season. “Oh, I resolve to eat better.” You are supposed to eat well. It falls under the Fifth Commandment, so it is not a penance. You are doing your body a favor. We are supposed to do something that disciplines the will, restrains our pride, and rids ourselves of the obsession of self so that we can love better. There must be a sacrifice. For me, that would be eating fish because I hate fish! Get the theme here? I hate fish! There has to be some kind of degradation. When we sin, we tell God, “No. I’m not going to do that. No! No! No!” So, we step away from God. When we do penance, we are taking a step back toward God. Some of us may be over-achievers, like those of us who were at Fort Bragg, and have taken multiple steps away from God. Come see me. If you say, “I’m going to spend extra time in prayer.” Extra prayers take time away from our other activities. And so we begin that walk back towards God.
Now, you don’t have to say, “I’m going to give up a kidney.” The penance doesn’t have to be huge. What’s important is how much love you give it with. It’s not the size of the gift but the love with which it is given. Doing a little bit of penance with great love is very effective. What are we doing when we do penance? We are decreasing our love and fascination with ourselves, even as wonderful as I think I am, and increasing our love for God. When we love ourselves – and I especially love me – it’s hard to love others. We need to decrease self-love so that we can increase our love of God. We must love God first and then we will be able to love others. We cannot give what we do not have. Saint John the Baptist said, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” That’s exactly how we grow in the love of God. It’s awfully difficult sometimes. When I drive past a Hardee’s, I just tear up because there’s just something about the smell of bacon. Last night I had a small discomfort, but for me every discomfort is HUGE because it’s me. If you buy your lunch at work, don’t. Deprive yourself of a small meal and give that money to the poor.
This season of penance is the perfect time for us to make a good Confession. According to Church law, we are supposed to confess once a year. It’s also a good time to reach out to others who may have fallen by the wayside and bring them back to the Sacraments and to the Church to rejoin in God’s love. How do you call someone back to the Church? I’ll give you a story. This week I was doing my rounds in the Emergency Department at the VA hospital. I’m just there for the scare. When I walk by someone who is on an EKG, the machine goes crazy. Nervous? Anyway, I saw two veterans, and one of the guys was very talkative. He was coming off drugs, and he wanted to get clean. So, I talked to him for a long time. The other guy was coming off booze, but he didn’t want much to do with me. The next couple of days are not going to be pleasant at all for them. As I was talking to the nurses, I learned that the guy who was coming off the sauce has a behavioral problem. I said, “Well, he’ll get that fixed here.” The ER nurses at the VA could top any WWE steel cage match. Don’t mess with them. They don’t wear a camera; however, whatever they break the doctors can fix. So don’t worry about that.
Anyway, I was talking to the one guy, and he was upset and ashamed. One of the phrases we use in the military, not those phrases, but a good one that we use is, “We don’t shoot our wounded.” You are sick and we will take care of you until you are not. That’s exactly what we tell sinners. We don’t shoot our wounded here. The Church wants to reclaim people for Christ and keep them close to the Cross. The guy was upset so I said to him, “Here is my card. If you need someone to talk to, give me a call. A lot of counselors have not been where we’ve been.” When counselors are working with someone who has PTSD, they’ll say, “Oh, I know it must have been hard over there.” They don’t have a freaking clue because they weren’t there. But if a counselor has been there, the veterans will talk to them.
In the ten years I’ve been handing out my cards, nobody has ever called me. I’m not upset, but it’s important for me to do that. It gives people something to hang on to and to give them hope that somebody cares. We can tell people how great God has been to us and that we do not shoot our wounded although the Catholic Church tends to shoot theirs. But we will take care of you until you no longer need us. That’s what we tell people especially those who have fallen away from God because they feel guilty. Some of the guilt they feel is expressed as anger. “I don’t need this!” Then why are you so angry?
It is important for all of us to go out and search for stray and lost sheep. What are the signs of sin? Guilt, shame, fear, and remorse. The one that keeps people away is fear. Tell them that we don’t shoot our wounded. The sad part about the two veterans I met in the ER that day is that I don’t know if either of them will get clean or sober. Because they feel better for a few days, a lot of people check themselves out against medical advice and try the drugs or booze again. That’s why we must stay close and remember our frailties. As Saint Therese of Lisieux said, “When I am small, I am safe.” Instead, we think, “I’m the smartest bear in Jellystone Park. I can do this all by myself. I’m good.” However, our Lord said to be perfect. Good is not good enough.
Lent is a wonderful time for us to help ourselves to love even more. When we love more, we will be happier. Remember the apostles who had the you-know-what beat out of them in prison? They left prison and rejoiced for they were found worthy to suffer for the name. So, when we give up these small things in our lives, we should be happier. I still hate fish. . .did I tell you that? But I’m happy because I eat it for Christ and the love of others. As Saint Paul says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for Your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24).
How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
What does the Israelites’ forty years in the desert tell us about the purpose of Lent?
Sure, they both involve the number forty—which often represents a time of test and trial in the Bible—but what’s the more important connection?
The Israelites’ time in the desert and our forty-day Lenten fast represent God’s invitation for us to trust him completely.
Fr. Mike explains, the Israelites did not believe the Lord could bring them into the Promised Land because it was inhabited by a people much more powerful and larger than Israel—they didn’t trust him even after he delivered them from slavery to the largest civilization on the planet, Egypt.
We can be the same way.
We think God can’t give us the strength to overcome this or that sin or habit. But purpose of Lent is to set aside time for us to trust God completely so we can see that he is all we need.
Forty is a number with ancient biblical significance.
Lent is forty days long because Jesus fasted in the wilderness forty days and forty nights before embarking on His public ministry.
But Jesus did not select the length of His fast at random. Throughout the Old Testament, a stretch of forty days (or years) has always carried a deep meaning often related to punishment, penance, and/or preparation.
Here are a few examples:
During Noah’s time, God sent rain for forty days and forty nights to punish the earth with flood
In consequence of their lack of faith, the Israelites wandered in the desert forty years before reaching the Promised Land
The people of Nineveh fasted and repented to avert the wrath of God which the prophet Jonah predicted would come upon them in forty days
Both Moses and Elijah fasted forty days before or during important conversations with God
When the time came for Jesus to begin His public mission, He utilized this tradition. His mission was of an all-encompassing nature that taps into—and fulfills—all the biblical reasons for forty day events.
As the God-Man, He was embarking on His mission to be our Mediator—to converse with God on our behalf, as Moses and Elijah did in a prefigurative way.
As the one Man Who came to bear the punishment due to all men, He evokes the repentance of Nineveh that averted the punishment of God.
His time in the desert—reminiscent of the Israelites’ forty year sojourn—proffers the idea that He is deliberately taking on the punishment due to our faithlessness, which otherwise would keep us away from the Promised Land of Heaven.
The season of Lent is our great opportunity to enter into the desert with Christ. Do you have a plan for how to approach these days and gain the incredible graces they offer us?
