I grew up in a Catholic home and attended a Catholic grade school. We always practiced Lent as a way to get ready for Easter. I remember Ash Wednesday Mass, tuna casserole on Fridays, watching my grandparents give up dessert (they also invited everyone over for all birthdays in Lent as an excuse to break their fast and eat cake), praying the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross with my school, Passion readings during Holy Week masses, a rice bowl fundraiser for Catholic Relief Services, feeling intensely sad about Christ's suffering on Good Friday, and celebrating Easter with baskets (I could never find mine) and pretty dresses my mom sewed and Easter egg hunts at my grandparents' house with my siblings and cousins (some years were outside in the spring weather and other years were brought indoors because of freshly fallen snow).
In college I continued to participate in some of these activities, but they slowly fell away as my future husband and I navigated combining our different faith backgrounds and began attending a Protestant church together. I remember one year early in our marriage showing up at church only vaguely aware that it was Easter and really regretting that I had not taken any time to prepare my heart and mind beforehand. Since then I have made an effort to participate in Lent in my own way. Below is a list of ideas for Lent. I'll be picking a few from this list in the upcoming weeks as I prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Ideas for Participating in Lent:
- Read a Lenten devotional by yourself or with your family
- Read one or more of the gospels in preparation for Easter
- Add writing, drawing, or memorizing Scripture
- Fast from something and seek God instead
- Set aside extra time for prayer or learning more about prayer
- Journal
- Practice gratitude by recording things you are thankful for each day
- Give of your time or treasure
- Listen to music or reflect on art that reminds you of Jesus' sacrifice on your behalf
- Attend a church service that participates in the Lenten season if yours does not
- Make a set of Resurrection Eggs to open the 12 days before Easter (one idea is here https://faithgateway.com/
- Plant a Resurrection Garden (a few examples are here https://carrieturansky.com/
- Demonstrate the events of Holy Week with legos, other toys, drawings, etc.
- Bake resurrection rolls or hot cross buns
- Dye Easter eggs and talk about new life in Christ
- Send a few Easter cards
- Display an Easter Nativity (my daughter and I made one out of paper similar to this one several years ago https://www.amazon.com/
- Complete an Easter Art Project or two by yourself or with your family
What would you add to my list? Happy Ash Wednesday!
For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19b.
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