7 Steps for a Good Lent (For You & Your Family)

After the Fat Tuesday party dies down today, be prepared to answer the ubiquitous Lenten question: "What are you giving up for Lent."  Using the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, there's more to Lent than not eating chocolate.  But even if you repeat your Lenten practices from last year, it's still a good idea to think about what it is you're doing and so make your Lent an intentional pilgrimage with the Lord.

Enter: the 7 Steps for a Good Lent, as conceived by Coming Home Catholic (CHC), a group focused on renewing religious education in the family.  Their guide is focused on your family and how your family will keep the Lenten practices.  Below are their Seven Steps with additional suggestions.

Before Your Start Your Lenten Practices

Decide as a family what to do for Lent.

Step 1: Take the Family Inventory
CHC put together a good inventory/assessment tool (PDF) your family can use to think through major areas of family life.  With your entire family, answer the questions and highlight a few areas your family needs to improve on.

Step 2: Think About Lenten Resolutions
Pick at least one area your family can focus on from your inventory results.  Consider how your family can pray, fast, and give alms to make a difference in that area.  CHC recommends resolutions that are easy enough to do for 6 weeks but still challenging.

Step 3: Celebrate Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday / Shrove Tuesday
Many, many years ago, Lenten dietary restrictions included restrictions on dairy products.  Shrove Tuesday was the day when all those products were used up.  What do eggs, milk, and butter play a prominent role in?  Pancakes!

The key is not to go overboard and eat everything in sight.  Instead, taste whatever it is you're eating and celebrate life.

Lent: Prepares You For Easter
Step 4: Learn About Lenten Practices
To prepare us to celebrate Easter, the Church recommends three practices.  Learn a little about each of them below.

Truth.

• Prayer is our conversation with God, both individually and communally.  Here are some ideas on how your family can pray.  And other ideas too.
• Fasting increases our awareness of our bodies and our minds, sharpening ourselves that we may better be attuned to God.  This practice has overshadowed the other two, and is where we get the "giving something up" part of Lent.  Here are some ideas on how your family can fast.
• Almsgiving is a practice that invites us to care for the poor and oppressed within our community and our family.  Usually we think of giving money (CRS' Rice Bowl is a yearly tradition), but here are other ways to give alms this Lent.

Step 5: Follow Through
Write down your resolutions on the refrigerator, the door, all your mirrors, your alarm clock, your arm, even your face -- anywhere that will help you remember your family's resolutions.  Keep your family in your prayers!

Holy Week

Soon, but not yet.

Step 6: Prepare Your Home For Easter
Once Holy Week rolls around, start scrounging around for Easter decorations.  Holy Saturday is a great time to put up the decorations.  You've just spent 40 days fasting -- it's time to celebrate with all we have, including our house!

Step 7: Participate in Triduum
Come to Mass on Holy Thursday, participate in a Good Friday service, and attend the Vigil.  These are the three holiest days of the year -- make the most of it!  (More on this in April.)

What will your family do for Lent?  Where do you want new life in your family?


Image Credit: Nick Booth, LivingOS, Mikey G Ottawa, and Marek52 on flickr,