10 Things To Think About As We Near the End of Lent

As we approach Holy Week, it might be good to think about how our Lenten time is progressing…

The following is an excerpt from Bishop David Ricken’s “Journey to the Foot of the Cross – 10 Things to Remember for Lent.”  Bishop Ricken is the bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin and the Chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis of the USCCB.

1. Remember the Formula…Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving
2. It’s a time of prayer.  Lent is essentially an act of prayer spread out over 40 days. One that hopefully brings us closer to Christ and leaves us changed by the encounter with him
3. It’s a time to fast.  It’s almost a game for some of us, but fasting is actually a form of penance, which helps us turn away from sin and toward Christ.
4. It’s a time to work on discipline.  Instead of giving something up, it can be doing something positive.
5. It’s about dying to yourself.  The more serious side of Lenten discipline is that it’s about more than self-control – it’s about finding aspects of yourself that are less than Christ-like and letting them die.
6. Don’t do too much.  We spend our entire lives growing closer to God.  Don’t try to cram it all in one Lent.  That’s a recipe for failure.
7. Lent reminds us of our weakness.  This can be painful, but recognizing how helpless we are makes us seek God’s help with renewed urgency and sincerity.
8. Be patient with yourself.  God is calling us to be patient and see ourselves as he does, with unconditional love.
9. Reach out in charity.  Almsgiving…it’s about more than throwing a few extra dollars in the collection plate; it’s about reaching out to others and helping them without question as a way of sharing the experience of God’s unconditional love.
10. Learn to love like Christ.  Lent is a journey through the desert to the foot of the cross on Good Friday, as we seek him out, ask his help, join in his suffering, and learn to love like him.

-Robin Swank