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Of course it should be focused on Christ. What superstitions and vain works exactly are you referring to? Penance? Almsgiving? Prayer? That’s what I have on the plate anyway.

I’ll post this now, since I have a feeling it may come in handy for future readers of this thread:

Council of Trent: Canons Concerning Justification
Canon 1.
If anyone says that man can be justified before God by his own works, whether done by his own natural powers or through the teaching of the law,[110] without divine grace through Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.

With catholics in my workplace Lent for them is all about whatever food or vice they're "giving up" and failures in how they cheat is basically brushed off as just being "human". From coffee, to chocolate to TV or others, it's centered on "succeeding" in refraining from these. I have not once heard Christ's name in their equation of what Lent means to them...it appears to be all about them and their vice.

This has been my observation as they discuss Lent amongst themselves. It doesn't appear to have any "religious" meaning, rather it's the "doing" of what they've determined to give up for Lent and participating with the group think concerning that......and further failing that, going to Mass in order to be absolved of that failure...often followed with chuckling and humor when speaking about their failure.

I will also add the catholics in my workplace do believe a "woman has a right to do with her body what she wants to" in matters of abortion and contraceptives.

Not that I would normally disagree with Dr. Horton, but I don’t feel that ANY act of ours will lead us to Christ, even something like Lent. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. If the HS wants you to withhold something because it would cause you to reflect more on Jesus and what he has done for you, the HS is not and should not be constrained to any limiting period of time, such as a 40 day Lent season. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us to Christ and all his benefits. And speaking of benefits...

If your loving and compassionate spouse scrimped and saved to buy you that shiny new red sports car you’ve always wanted and presented it to you, do you look them in the eye and say “I love you and your gift so much, I am going to set it in the garage for forty days so I can enjoy it so much more later.”? No, you enjoy the car every day, and rejoice in such a wonderful gift of sacrifice.

Jesus sacrificed so you don’t have to. The Father gives you what you need, and much of what you want. I think it is idiotic to say to a loving Father that you want to leave the gifts he gave you alone, so you can appreciate him all the more, when actually you should be praising him every day for the wonderful things he has given and continues to give. If something has caused you to think more of it than of God (coffee, smokes, internet, whatever) that you think you should forgo it for 40 days, just get rid of it altogether, it has become an idol.

In other words, you don’t need a special season to do that which you should be doing every day, rejoicing in ALL that is good from God.

Gamey, sorry for the long post.

So what I’m getting from Dr. Horton is that Lent should be focused on Christ and leading us to Him,

I'm with the Scots on this one. I see no reason to do anything different during Lent as at any other time. To eat a fat jellyroll on Tuesday just so you can fast on Wednesday is so silly. Some people we know are "selectively" fasting; that is choosing particular things they will not eat. It's nothing more than mumbo-jumbo.

Our pastor gave out devotional guides for Lent. All I could think of is why aren't the people already doing devotionals.