Practical Suggestions A-Z
A.
Watch Mel Gibson’s movie
The Passion of the Christ when it opens on
Ash Wednesday. Besides being one of the greatest
evangelism tools of our time, this movie will be a
powerful reminder of the meaning of suffering, sacrifice,
grace, and redemption. The Passion will set a
proper tone and perspective for everything we do during
the season of Lent.
B.
Go to see The Passion once a week during Lent
(maybe every Lenten Friday), and take a different person
to see it with you each time. Use this film as an
opportunity to share the Gospel with a non-Christian or
non-Catholic friend or family member. After each viewing,
spend extra time with the friend you brought to the
theater. Answer his or her questions about the story of
Jesus. Invite your friend to go to the sacrament of
Confession. Ask your friend to come to Mass with you next
Sunday. [Note: for more tips on Passion Evangelism, visit
our “Hot Topics” section.]
C.
Attend Mass as often as possible.
If you normally go to Mass just on Sundays, try to go to
daily Mass once or twice a week. If you already make it to
Mass a few times a week, try to increase to daily
attendance.
Jesus
said: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall
not hunger; and he who believes in me shall never thirst….
I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any
one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the
bread which I give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
(John 6:35,51).
D.
Go to Confession often.
I love to call the sacrament of Confession “the power of a
clean slate.” When I’m waiting outside the confessional,
contemplating the sins scrawled all over my soul, it’s one
of the worst feelings in the world. Yet coming out of the
confessional is one of the best moments in life. The
sacrament of Confession restores me to my baptismal
purity. I have once again become the pure and spotless
bride of Christ. The slate of my soul is wiped clean by
the blood of Jesus and the gift of this sacrament He gave
to the Church. The Catechism tells us that the sacrament
of Penance (also called Confession) bestows special graces
upon us:
“The
spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:
reconciliation with the Church; remission of the eternal
punishment incurred by mortal sins; remission, at least in
part, of temporal punishments due to sin; peace and
serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation; and an
increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1496).
Therefore, let’s make a commitment to go to Confession as
often as possible during Lent, and receive the many
spiritual gifts and graces Jesus is waiting to bestow upon
us.
E.
Make an examination of conscience every night.
According to the Catechism, an examination of
conscience is “prayerful reflection on our words and deeds
in the light of the Gospel to determine how we may have
sinned against God.” A thorough examination of conscience
is necessary for making a good and full confession. A good
time to make an examination of conscience is at the end of
the day, right before you go to bed.
F.
Pray.
Just before Jesus entered into His passion and death for
our sake, He took His disciples to the Garden of
Gethsemane to pray. He asked Peter and the disciples,
“could you not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40)
During the next forty days, Jesus is asking us to watch
and pray with him. Find time each day to pray. The
greatest form of prayer is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Also, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is another
powerful form of prayer. A “Holy Hour” is a Catholic
devotional practice based on Jesus’ request in the Garden
of Gethsemane, to watch and pray one hour with him. St.
Paul challenges us to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians
5:17). Lent is a good time to strengthen our relationship
with Jesus Christ through prayer.
G.
Begin each day with a Morning Offering prayer.
The Morning Offering prayer has numerous variations, but
the main idea is to start your day by giving to God
everything you may encounter during the upcoming day. [To
print out a copy of the Morning Offering, visit the
“Catholic Prayers” section of
Daily Fuel.]
H.
Read the Bible daily.
King David wrote in the Old Testament, “Thy Word is a lamp
to my feet, and a light to my path.” For young adults in
the 21st Century, the Word of God is still a
guiding light for our lives. The Bible is God’s love
letter to His children. Spend time each day reading,
studying, and meditating on God’s Word in the Scriptures.
I.
Memorize verses of Scripture.
In the Old Testament, God commanded Israel, saying: “And
these words which I command you this day shall be upon
your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your
children, and shall talk about them when you sit in your
house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie
down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a seal
upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between
your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of
your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
Clearly,
God desires His Word to be implanted deep in the minds,
hearts, and daily actions of His people. This command is
the same for us today. By memorizing verses of Scripture,
we embed the Word of God deeply into our heart, mind, and
soul. When the Scripture is a part of us in this way, it
will be a guard and protection against sin and temptation.
King David wrote in the Book of Psalms, “How can a young
man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to they
Word” (119:9).
J.
Fast once a week.
Fasting has a way of purifying our bodies, minds, and
souls in a truly awesome way. Jesus taught us how to fast:
“when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites,
for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be
seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your
Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in
secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:16-18).
K.
Serve the poor.
Volunteer at a soup kitchen, with St. Vincent de Paul,
Meals on Wheels, or a local outreach to the poor in your
community. Be Jesus to someone in need this Lent.
Challenge yourself to serve in a way you never have
before.
L.
Give alms.
Sacrifice your time, your talent, and your finances this
Lent. Support your local Church, as well as Catholic
missions, charities, and apostolates.
M.
Practice kindness.
Kindness if a virtue that can break down the thickest
walls in a person’s life. Be kind to someone who has
irritated or annoyed you recently. Remember the example of
St. Therese of Liseux, who loved those who annoyed her
even more than her friends.
N.
Find quiet time with God.
In our hectic, media-driven, loud world, it’s often hard
to find time for quiet meditation, reflection, and
communion with God. I have the bad habit of constantly
filling my life with noise. Whether it’s my CD player at
work, blaring my car radio, or cranking up the stereo at
home, I often saturate my life with large decibels of
noise. When we fill our life with noise, we miss
opportunities to listen for the voice of God. During Lent,
make an extra-special effort to find quiet time alone with
God. Take evening walks and pray the Rosary. Go to a park
on Saturday morning and just sit quietly and let God speak
to your heart. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm
46:10).
O.
Pray the Stations of the Cross
(especially on Fridays). The object of the Stations is to
help us make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the
chief scenes of
Christ's suffering and death, and this has
become one of the most popular Catholic devotions. It is
carried out by passing from Station to Station, with
certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the
various incidents of Christ’s passion. [Note: For a guide
to praying the Stations of the Cross, visit the “Catholic
Prayers” section of Daily Fuel.]
P.
Share your Faith.
Give a book, tape, or pamphlet about the Catholic faith to
a non-Catholic friend or family member, and invite them to
learn more about your Catholic faith.
Q.
Spiritual reading.
Do some spiritual reading during Lent. Read a devotional
book, such as the In Conversation with God
devotional series. Read a book about the life of a saint,
such as The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of
Liseux. Read a popular spiritual work such as
Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de
Sales, Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, or
the Confessions by St. Augustine.
R.
Pray a novena.
A novena is a nine-day period of private or public prayer
to
obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or to
make special
petitions. [Note: for downloads of Novena prayers, visit
the “Catholic Prayers” section of Daily Fuel.]
S.
Call someone
whom you haven't heard from in a while. Surprise your
grandfather or a great aunt with a special note in the
mail.
T.
Visit the sick.
Visit
someone in a nursing home or retirement facility. Bring
them a flower, give them a hug, and tell them Jesus loves
them.
U.
Turn off the TV
for a night and clean your room or help out with a family
chore that you really don't want to do. Turn off your
favorite show and read your Bible or pray the Rosary for a
special intention instead.
V.
Watch religious programming during Lent.
Watch EWTN’s special Lenten programming instead of a local
primetime show. Invite a friend to come over to watch
Life on the Rock or listen to The Wave Factor
with you.
W.
Give up
your favorite food for a day.
X.
Make your bed
every day before going to school or work.
Y.
Practice humility.
Find ways to practice the virtue of humility during Lent.
Check out these promises from Scripture:
-
“Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4).
-
“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever
humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
-
“God
opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James
4:6).
- “Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up”
(James 4:10).
