Posted on 02/24/2009 10:13:16 PM PST by Salvation
40 Ways to Improve Your Lent
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By Brian T. Olszewski
Catholic Herald Staff |
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During Lent, the church instructs its members to make prayer, fasting and almsgiving integral parts of their lives. For you who wish to supplement your spiritual diet, your Catholic Herald presents he following 40 options for prayer, fasting and almsgiving, in no particular order, as ways to help you experience a grace-filled Lent a Lent in which you deepen your relationship with God. 1. Learn about your patron saint. 2. Pray for by name people you dont like and for people that dont like you. 3. Participate in a healing service. 4. Read a Catholic magazine every time you visit the library. 5. March 19, in honor of St. Joseph, patron saint of carpenters and fathers, build or build upon a relationship with one of your children. 6. Buy two of everything on your grocery list, and give the duplicates to the local food pantry. 7. Find out why you should have fun on Laetare Sunday, and then do so. 8. Start a cuss bowl. For every unkind word you utter, put in a dollar two dollars during Holy Week. After Easter, give the money to an English as a second language program. 9. Bring a Baltimore Catechism to a gathering of Catholic friends, and start asking each other questions. 10. Give away a material item you really value. 11. Pray for those, e.g., children, parents, spouse, siblings, who have left the church. 12. Talk to a neighbor you rarely or never talk to. 13. Keep a dish of ashes in a prominent place as a constant reminder of the season. 14. Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 15. Test your knowledge of Scripture. 16. Read a biography about Archbishop Oscar Romero and/or watch the video Romero. 17. Open a Christmas Club account with the intention of giving the money to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. 18. Visit a church when you dont have to. 19. Reserve a button on your car stereo for the Relevant Radio station in your area. 20. Pray the news for the people whose stories of hardship are reported daily and weekly. 21. Read an entry from a Catholic encyclopedia. 22. Attend Mass at a parish other than your own 23. Tithe your tax return. 24. If Catholic schools get NCAA tournament bids, learn for whom those schools were named. 25. Observe five minutes of silence every day. 26. Instead of watching the Academy Awards on Feb. 27, watch The Passion of the Christ. 27. Use a Lenten theme in decorating part of a room. 28. Memorize a Proverb. 29. Participate in a faith formation presentation. 30. Tell someone your story(ies) of faith, how God has made a difference in your life. 31. Disconnect the TV and/or the computer. 32. Identify your God-given gifts, how you use them, and how you could use them better. 33. Fast from gossip. 34. Pull the rosary out of your drawer and say it. Too boring? Say the Scriptural rosary. 35. Remove your watch before leaving for church on Palm Sunday. 36. Develop a prayer list. 37. Read a history of the papacy. 38. Find out who Raamah, Putiel, and Uzzah are. 39. Sacrifice your time in order to help others. 40. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words. |
Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ [Devotional]
On Lent... and Lourdes (Benedict XVI's Angelus address)
Lent for Newbies
Lent -- 2008 -- Come and Pray Each Day
Lent: Why the Christian Must Deny Himself
Lenten Workshop [lots of ideas for all]
Lent and Reality
Forty Days (of Lent) [Devotional/Reflections]
Pope Benedict takes his own advice, plans to go on retreat for Lent
GUIDE FOR LENT - What the Catholic Church Says
Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2008
40 Days for Life: 2008 Campaigns [Lent Registration this week]
Vatican Web Site Focuses on Lent
Almsgiving [Lent]
Conversion Through Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving [Lent]
Feasting on Purple [Lent]
Lent: A Time for Prayer, Reflection and Giving
Denver Archbishops Lenten Message: Restore us as a culture of Life
Where does Ash Wednesday get its ashes?
Catholic Caucus: Daily Rosary Prayer for Lent
On the 40 Days of Lent General Audience of Pope Benedict XVI
Lenten Stations -- Stational Churches - visit each with us during Lent {Catholic Caucus}
Something New for Lent: Part I -- Holy Souls Saturdays
Reflections for Lent (February, March and April, 2007)
Lent 2007: The Love Letter Written by Pope Benedict
Pre-Lent through Easter Prayer and Reflections -- 2007
Stations of the Cross [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
For study and reflection during Lent - Mind, Heart, Soul [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Fast-Family observance Lenten season [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Pre-Lenten Days -- Family activities-Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras)[Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
40 Ways to Get the Most Out of Lent! [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Lenten Fasting or Feasting? [Catholic Caucus]
Pope's Message for Lent-2007
THE TRUE NATURE OF FASTING (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
The Triduum and 40 Days
The Three Practices of Lent: Praying, Fasting. Almsgiving
Why We Need Lent
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2006
Lent a Time for Renewal, Says Benedict XVI
Why You Should Celebrate Lent
Getting the Most Out of Lent
Lent: A Time to Fast From Media and Criticism Says President of Pontifical Liturgical Institute
Give it up (making a Lenten sacrifice)
The History of Lent
The Holy Season of Lent -- Fast and Abstinence
The Holy Season of Lent -- The Stations of the Cross
Lent and Fasting
Mardi Gras' Catholic Roots [Shrove Tuesday]
Kids and Holiness: Making Lent Meaningful to Children
Ash Wednesday
All About Lent
It is a good list, Salvation! Thank you.
Did you get tired just reading it? LOL!
Choose a couple.
Ping
No! lol! I have to think about which ones to add to my already Lenten devotionals.
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