“Living the Faith” by Sister Margie Lavonis, CSC

Lent is really early this year. I don't know about you, but it seems like we just took down our Christmas trees and put away the holiday decorations.

The season of Lent is a very important time for Christians, especially Catholics. Each year the church, in her wisdom, gives us 40 days to reflect on our relationship with God. Lent is a yearly opportunity to slow down and take stock of how we are living our faith. It is also a good time to examine our actions to determine how well we are doing in our attempts to live the Gospel message of Jesus and where we need to improve. It is a call to conversion.

Our Catholic tradition suggests that during Lent we use the disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to renew our Christian life. It is not so much doing a lot of extra things, but living our lives more deeply in Christ.

Lent is a time to give more attention to the place of prayer in your life. Prayer is communication with God. No relationship grows unless we are willing to listen and share ourselves with the other person. God is no exception.

During Lent set aside, if you don't already, some time daily for regular prayer. Try to find a quiet place where you can just be with God and let God love you. You might want to read and reflect upon some Scripture and get to know the Lord better.

Don't call upon God only when you are in trouble or want something. Spend some time praising and thanking God for all your blessings.

Fasting is the second discipline of Lent. Most people think that fasting is primarily something to do with food, like giving up candy or ice cream or not eating in between meals. However, there are other ways to fast. Only you know what type of fasting would best help your spiritual life. Maybe it would be more beneficial for you to fast from gossip or negative words rather than chocolate chip cookies. Or perhaps you could try to talk less and become a better listener, especially to people who could use your attention. It can be a real discipline, especially when you have a lot on your mind, to focus on the other person and truly hear what he or she is saying.

Lastly, there is almsgiving, the third discipline of Lent. For many, to give alms means donating money to a charitable cause. That is an important part of it, but it also means to share the precious gifts of our time and talent with people in need. Lent calls us to give of ourselves, not just our financial and material resources. This Lent you might think about people who can use some of your time. Who would most benefit from your gifts and talents?

Reconciliation is also a Lenten practice. Who do you need to forgive or from whom do you need to ask forgiveness? I think this a very important way to give alms and is a sacrifice pleasing to our God. It can be difficult, but it brings a lot of peace to those involved and, after all, it is what Jesus tells us to do.

During this Lent let us try to slow down and be more reflective. If we don't already, set aside some regular time for the Lord. Let us also try to raise our awareness of the needs of others and not focus primarily on ourselves. This might be a good time to do some charitable work that you can integrate into your life after Lent is over.

Lent is a yearly opportunity to reflect on our life in Christ. Classes, papers, committees, projects, spring breaks, jobs, etc., will pass away, but our relationship with God is forever. Don't let this be just another 40 days in the year. Use it as a time of conversion.

Did you enjoy this article? If so, browse our “Living the Faith” archive to read some of Sister Margie’s past reflections.