"Start (or continue) a spiritual journal today. Set down spiritual goals that you hope will accompany your concrete penances to return to the Lord."
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the beginning of the Lenten season, and I am planning on honoring the Catholic Church's traditions and teachings this year as much as possible. A lot of people have been asking me what exactly the Catholic Church has it's members do during Lent so I am going to include links to information throughout this post.
Most people give something up for Lent...but I'm thinking that this year I am going to try to DO positive things more than trying not to do one negative thing. I am going to use these forty days to really clean up my life, re-prioritize, and get back to doing what really counts. I want to try to work on the following things:
1. Make it to church for Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation & try to make it to Stations of the Cross on fridays
2. Abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and on all fridays throughout Lent
3. Be more patient with my husband
4. Spend more quality time with my son
5. Start going back to my yoga/pilates class and walking
6. Go to all of my doctors and my dentist for check-ups (UGH! My least favorite
promise!!) and then plan our next baby (my scariest promise!!)
7. Give ten percent of our income to our church, friends/family in need, and to
charities
8. Watch what I say about others and try to be more positive
9. Pray more often. I want to say a rosary every day if I can!
10. Eat better (including giving up desserts--Eeek!), start to take my vitamins again
Lent is such a good opportunity to start fresh and clean with life.
The sacrifices are difficult, but they always help me to get to the root of my faith and to remember what really matters in life. Every year I feel like the changes I make will "stick", and even though I get closer and closer each year to where I want to be, I am still so far off from my goal. I know that most of the things I am planning on doing are things that I am SUPPOSED to do, being Catholic and all, but they are things that I don't always do during Lent and I'm making a point to do them this year. I'm planning on blogging mostly about Lent for the next forty days, documenting the changes that take place in my life, talking about things I am learning and venting about the things I'm struggling with. I'd love to hear from those of you who are observing Lent this year, too! What are all of you planning doing for Lent, if anything?
5 comments:
Jenn, I love your post! I posted about this last night too. My post is not nearly as eloquent,LOL, but I did put in there what I am going to do for Lent. However after reading your post, I think I am adding one thing!
Great post Jen! You are going to be doing some great stuff and even though you say your going to be more positive.. you are a very positive person! =)
Looking forward to reading your Lenten journey. I have a post up as welll... not as thought out as yours.. you know me!!
Wonderful post! I hope you don't mind that I linked to it as part of my Lenten Challenge. - trying to find inspiration thought the blogosphere during the season of Lent.
Yes, great post. :) You make Lent sound appealing. Ha! That's hard to do.
We're off to a good start, making it to Mass yesterday for Ash Wednesday. Once again, we're aiming to pray a rosary together daily as a family. I'm cutting down on computer time, but not cutting it out altogether.
Lent always seems to have a way of making itself known in my life, whether I want to add to it or not. Like last year-RIGHT as it was Lent, I was in the hospital with kidney stones. And they remained until just before Easter. My prayer life really increased. The Lent before that we miscarried. I know it's not just coincidence.
I, too, am looking forward to your Lenten posts. Good luck staying w/ all of your goals!
Sharon--I know whatyou mean about Lent making itself known!! Blah! That's why I'm getting a head start this year. It's such a good reminder to do what I already SHOULD be doing, you know? And it shows me how far from "good" I really am. I did make it to Mass last night, but...well, maybe I should just go post about it? This could get lengthy!! :o)
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