PREPARING FOR LENT Susan Kehoe

Turn back to Lent is the time in the Church year when the Church invites us to turn our hearts back to the Lord. Christians are called to be Holy—to be Saints. But as the Lord St. Paul reminds us we all fall short of the glory of God. We all sin; we live in a broken world. That is why Christian life is a journey of continual conversion and transformation. In the Season of Lent the Church calls us to take a long hard look at ourselves. Each of us is called to examine our lives to determine if we are living the teachings of the Gospel. Lent is a wake up call to transform our hearts so that we can live share in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The problem is that most of us begin Lent with the intention to “do a good lent”, but we often fall short as we get caught up in our hectic 24/7 world. We need to transformed. prepare our hearts and ask God for help so that this Lent we can become truly the Lord

Lent is the time in the Church year when the Church invites us to turn our hearts back to the Lord. Christians are called to be Holy—to be Saints. But as the Lord St. Paul reminds us we all fall short of the glory of God. We all sin; we live in a broken world. That is why Christian life is a journey of continual conversion and transformation. In the Season of Lent the Church calls us to take a long hard look at ourselves. Each of us is called to examine our lives to determine if we are living the teachings of the Gospel. Lent is a wake up call to transform our hearts so that we can live share in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The problem is that most of us begin Lent with the intention to “do a good lent”, but we often fall short as we get caught up in our hectic 24/7 world. We need to transformed. prepare our hearts and ask God for help so that this Lent we can become truly

Make a Plan and Stick to It

Fast More

Give More Alms

Only God can satisfy our hunger and thirst

Jesus call us to Agape—self Giving love. Love is at the heart of the Christian life.

Determine what you need to change in order to be in closer union with Jesus. What sins am I attached to? What bad habits do I practice? Resolve to make time for God every day. Pray More

Fast one day a week. Go beyond the required Ash Wednesday and Good Friday Fast days. Jesus prayed and fasted. Fast from a behavior. Choose a behavior or indulgence that is most likely to turn you away from God and/or others. T hen give it up for Lent. (e.g. one lent I gave up sarcasm).

Freely give more of your time to God, His Church, and others. Freely give more of you talents in service to God, His Church, and others. Freely Give more of your need. treasure to those in

Make time to pray. Pick a set time and place every day even if it means getting up earlier than usual. Cultivate silence. Learn to spend time alone before God without noise so that we can listen to God. Resolve to spend an hour in contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament. Carve out time to pray as a family. Pray without ceasing. Say the Jesus prayer while going about your activities: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner.

Build Up Your Spiritual Muscles

Cultivate Virtue. Work on a Virtue that you lack. Virtue is a good and holy habit done often. Sin is a failure to love. Virtue is putting God and others first. There are four basic human virtues: Prudence, Justice, fortitude, temperance. Strive to trust in God’s plan for you. Turn over all of your sufferings and worries to the Lord. Read and meditate on Scripture every day. Read the lives of the Saints. Practice Spiritual reading

Father in Heaven, Let Us Pray for the grace to keep Lent faithfully Lord Protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the discipline of Lent, make this season holy by our self- denial. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever.

Participate More Often in the Sacraments

Commit to attend at least one daily Mass each week (in addition to Sunday Mass). Go to Confession more often than usual