The season and discipline of Lent

  • Published
  • By Chaplain (Capt.) Jeffrey Ballou
  • 439th AW Wing Chaplain
WESTOVER, Mass. --  For Christians throughout the world, Ash Wednesday and the Season and discipline of Lent are here. Many times, we can be reluctant to enter into the discipline of Lent because we have been trained over the years from our youth to think that this Season and discipline of Lent is only about giving up things we enjoy doing in everyday life, such as chocolate, coffee, French fries, favorite snacks, eating between meals, and the like. Giving up the things that we enjoy can provide the discipline of mind, body, and soul to reach higher levels of both love and union with God as well as greater love of neighbor.

Fasting from TV, radio, text messaging, emails and the like can certainly help us enter more deeply into the Spirit of Lent in the quietness to reflect on why we are doing and what we are doing for Lent. In essence, the discipline of Lent in the areas of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving helps us to grow closer to God in our love for Him and in our love for Him ever present to us in our neighbors both near and far.

Lent is a season of increased time of prayer, going to Mass, the Stations of the Cross, praying the Rosary, going to receive God's love and mercy in the Sacrament of Confess, and as Pope Benedict VXI stated in his Angelus address on February 6, 2011, Lent is a time of a forty-day retreat with Jesus. Almsgiving during the Season of Lent is giving to our brothers and sisters in need in various ways: time, talent, and treasure, remembering that almsgiving makes up for a whole host of sins that we may have committed.

However, the season of Lent is not all about giving up things; rather, it is a season of expanding our minds and bodies and souls into doing things we ought to do or never seem to have the time for by putting these things off for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of time or motivation.

During this season of Lent, I recommend a two-fold approach. In the millennial practices in the areas of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, first, try giving up only two things that you really enjoy one more difficult than the other. Secondly, search your mind and reach to strive to expand greater limits of our minds, bodies, and souls by doing two things that are both positive and constructive for your mind, body, and soul. However, the first endeavor should be more difficult than the second endeavor.

In the area of the mind, some areas might be reading the book that we've been putting off reading, visiting loved ones confined to nursing homes, volunteering at a nursing home, soup kitchen or hospital, catching up on emails, organization of finances, etc.

In the area of the body, some areas might by exercising everyday such as push-ups, sit-ups, running, team sports, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, parking further away than usual.

In the area of the soul some examples might include daily prayer, going to Mass daily, going to receive the Sacrament of Confession, praying the Rosary daily, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily, reading one of the Gospels for Lent, reading the Passion narratives in each of the Gospels, praying the Stations of the Cross each Friday. These are just a few, but there are so many other areas of spiritual practices, which lead to spiritual growth so we can enter into greater union with God.

These ideas above are just some examples of the many things that we can do during the Season and discipline of Lent to expand our minds, bodies, and souls in love of God and neighbor. However, remember not to make that discipline of Lent just giving up the things we like and being miserable and making others miserable because of our sacrifices, if that is the case then you have received your reward. Rather, try making this Season and discipline of Lent well balanced in both giving up two things we like and enjoy and doing two things we want to do in expanding our minds, bodies, and souls to great love of both God and neighbor in the areas of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Please be cautious, do not try a whole host of sacrifices and new endeavors, please limit these sacrifices to two and those new endeavors to two and in doing so you may have a very fruitful and productive Lenten Season in greater love of God and neighbor. Consequently, went the Season and discipline of Lent come to a close, you may want to continue in both of these areas of sacrifices and endeavors as they have enriched our lives as well as expanded our minds, bodies, and souls in love of God and neighbor.

May you have a blessed, productive, and fruitful discipline of the Season of Lent.