My dear family in Christ,

Last week I encouraged all of us to give careful consideration to how we will observe the season of Lent this year.  What will be our commitments to grow in faith, hope and charity over the six weeks of spiritual preparation?  In order to provide a bit of assistance for those who may not know what to do or how to observe Lent, I offer a few suggestions which will address the traditional areas of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Prayer:  Find an extra five minutes a day to read the Bible; attend daily Mass at least once a week throughout Lent; read a book of the life of one of the saints; attend Eucharistic Adoration at a local church; participate in the Stations of the Cross; celebrate the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) at least once during Lent; turn off the car radio and pray a rosary or chaplet while commuting to work.

Fast: Turn off all social media for Lent; reduce the amount of TV, especially sports, watched during Lent; fast on every Friday of Lent; observe a meatless Lent or abstain from some other food item (dairy, bread, etc.); no desserts or snacking between meals; take lukewarm showers or some cold showers during Lent; fast from critical speech and gossip.

Almsgiving: For any meal or drink purchased at a cafe or restaurant, give an equal amount to a local charity; donate time to a local charity or parish; donate unneeded clothing or household items to a local thrift shop; donate to the Rice Bowl; donate to Vermont Catholic Charities Emergency Aid or another emergency program; donate food to a local food shelf.

This is far from an exhaustive list, but I hope it helps with establishing a definite plan of action for the coming Lenten season.  Remember, the sacrifices are meant to me just that: sacrifices.  It shouldn’t be too easy to observe our Lenten disciplines.  Jesus said “take up your cross daily” and our observance of Lent should place some burden upon us so that we come to a deeper appreciation that the things of this world, as wonderful as they may be, are not going to save us.  May this Lenten season helps us all to realize more and more that God alone suffices!

+John J. McDermott