What about Giving Up Something for Lent?

by Andy Alexander, SJ, Maureen McCann Waldron
  

Many of us might remember giving up candy for Lent when we were children, and it seemed like a real sacrifice. As we grew up, it was often more difficult to decide what special thing to do to make Lent a special season, to get our attention and to do prepare ourselves to give up judging others. For others, it could be giving up a bad habit we've developed. Still others will have different answers to the question “What will help me grow in freedom?”

For many of us, the choice may not be to give something up, but to add something to our daily lives during Lent. We may commit ourselves to extra prayer time. We may decide to do some service for the poor once a week during Lent.

Whether fasting, abstaining, or doing other acts of penance, the whole desire we should have is to use these means to help us grow closer to our Lord and prepare ourselves, in the words of the first preface of Lent, “to await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure.”

May our Lord bless us all on this journey.


This is from Praying Lent by Andy Alexander, SJ, and Maureen McCann Waldron.
Andy Alexander, SJ

Andy Alexander, SJ

Andy Alexander, SJ, has spent many years of his priesthood in pastoral and ministry work.

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Maureen McCann Waldron

Maureen McCann Waldron

Maureen McCann Waldron graduated from Creighton University with a degree in journalism.

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