Fasting and Lent

Lent is in a few days. It is at once the dreaded season and the fruitful season for the Catholic. It is when we sacrifice most intentionally for the Lord, and therefore we both hate and love it. It is in this way most comparable to a root canal  procedure, or perhaps like an open-chest heart surgery. No one in their right mind would ever desire to experience these painful operations, yet all would also   desire to have these done when needed.  We like the    results, but we hate the work; we love the Promised Land, but we hate the desert of the Exodus.

Here, on the brink of Lent, a Catholic intuitively relearns what religion is about. Religion is about God, and if we are honest, our lives are not about God even though they should be. We are addicted to sins, things, opinions, scrolling, and a whole host of things that are not God. Therefore, God wants to do work on our hearts; he is the heart surgeon, and Lent is his operating room. For Lent, we are addicts in rehab, and the Doctor prescribes cold turkey so that our heart stays healthy. And so, the question naturally arises at the check-in before Lent: what is your addiction? That is a good place to start when deciding how to make a good Lent.

The Church describes three practices characteristic of the Lenten season: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Fasting is simply giving up things to help focus on the most important things, or rather to focus on the most important Person. Some simple fasts are not eating between meals, taking a cool shower, or not using any screens for recreation. Do not cheat yourself on fasting; it should not be simply giving up chocolate when you will just eat ice cream. Make it a “no” that hurts a bit. Fasting from all unnecessary screens is a great way for a family to fast; it will put screens in their proper place in our lives.

Lent is not just fasting, though, it is also a time to increase in prayer. If a family gives up screens, then praying a Rosary is a good substitute for the family. I encourage your family to try praying together this Lent. We do not want our fasting to lead us to another addiction; instead, prayer should fill the gap. Lastly, almsgiving is another practice to accompany our fast; we give financial and temporal assistance to those in need. Helping at the food pantry or making a donation to charity is a great way to make Lent special this year. May the Lord give us a fruitful Lent this year,