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Lent is around the corner again. My Facebook feed has been full of discussions about Lent and articles with this, that or the other Lenten recommendation. It’s amazing how many ways there are to “live Lent”. And each way has both die-hard supporters who see the spiritual value of that particular path through Lent, and critics who see the potential pitfalls. For an example of what I mean, take a look at  an article Simcha Fisher wrote a few years ago  – I think she did a pretty good job of showing some common approaches to Lent and the very real benefits and potential drawbacks of each. I don’t think there’s one “right” way, or even “best” way of living Lent. I believe there are as many ways of living Lent as there are people. Although we often approach Lent programmatically, I prefer to see it as a journey, or dialogue between the soul and God. A dialogue is hard to copy or recreate, because it depends largely on the heart and mind of the people involved. A dialogue can have a

What are you doing for Lent?  I'm getting fit!  Every Lent I look for a new experience and this year I decided to focus on my health. I'm at the age where my rock star idols are  dying in bulk .  Though I'm in good health now, as I approach my 64th birthday, I think about my immortality just a little bit more. You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

We know that Lent is a time for praying, fasting and giving.  However, those three words have a multitude of meanings for each of us. What I have come to realize as I peruse the plethora of ideas on what to do for Lent  that can be found online and in print, is  that what makes for a meaningful Lent for me, may not have as much, or  any, meaning for you.      We are each uniquely and wonderfully made by our God.  And we are each called in unique and wonderful ways to serve Him. So how can you excel this Lent?     I don't have any new ideas that haven't already been shared.  What I do have are some suggestions to help you discern what you could  do this Lent:  Be authentic .   Don't compare yourself to what others are doing in their Lenten journey.  If giving up one simple thing (sodas, chocolate, meat, etc.)  is what works in your life and allows you to more deeply enter into this season, then do not judge yourself harshly because your friends are giving up something which

To kick off my series on the works of Mercy, I am compiling my five favorite ideas for families to live the virtue of Feeding the Hungry.  There are so many who are hungry out there, it truly is the easiest to start with.  In raising our children, we want them to not just know the faith, but live it.  St Paul said that faith without works is dead. Please join me for this twelve part series on living the works of mercy and see the faith of your family blossom and bear fruit! Source 1 Make Bag Lunches for the Homeless Our parish participates in "Midnight Run" where our priests, youth group, and parent volunteers travel to "the City" and distribute goods to the homeless. Out of the back of minivans, they spend the night handing out clothing, blankets, and toiletries.  They also distribute bag lunches that includes a sandwich, soft fruit, drink, and dessert.  For the past few years, my children and I have packed lunches for this venture. Continued

 I haven’t written any “reflections” in a while because I like to give them time, consideration and prayer before I put my thoughts out there. But for today I am going to do sort of a quick snippets type of post on some different things I have been pondering and reflecting on throughout Lent; much like the bloggers who do “7 Quick Takes”, I suppose. Here are my 4 quick (or not so quick!) reflections!  Blessings, Jen

Happy Palm Sunday (this weekend!) and Feast of the Annunciation! And Easter! (Almost!) Soon we'll all be saying: He is risen- he is risen indeed! Now that Lent is indeed almost over, as we're looking back, I have to be honest about these almost 40 days. We took Lent by the horns this year. It was hard. We went full-throttle and gave up a whole bunch of really lovely things.  It was extremely hard at times not to eat that piece of chocolate. But we did learn - oh boy did we learn- a whole bunch. All of us. The whole family!  So, the question remains: what- exactly-  did  we learn during Lent this year? 1. Prayer First of all, we learned to pray more.  In the afternoons, when I usually have my cup of tea and read while the kids nap, I often felt a slight depression at having decided to limit caffeine and my intake of hot tea.  During those times, I usually prayed. I found it so hard not to resort to my usual compulsive behavior: checking all of the social media apps on my phon

A couple of weeks ago, I shared an excerpt from Pope Francis' Message for Lent 2015: During this Lent, then, brothers and sisters, let us all ask the Lord: "Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum": Make our hearts like yours (Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). In this way we will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is not closed, indifferent or prey to the globalization of indifference. "Make our hearts like yours." How's that going? We're more than halfway through Lent, so it's time for a cardiac check-up. In what ways have our hearts grown more like the Heart of Jesus these past weeks? To reflect on this, we pay attention both to our own hearts and to the Heart of our Lord. Please join me at Praying with Grace for a heartfelt reflection.

The Gospel of John  (2003) dir.by Philip Saville Gospel   John 3:14-21  Jesus said to Nicodemus: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,     that whoever believes in him may have eternal life . “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.    And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that

Are you tired of Lent? Debbie, over at  Saints 365  is definitely tired of Lent and so is Regis Martin, who appears in the video below. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

The other day, I baked chocolate chip cookies for my kids, and didn’t eat a one. I then decided to Who eats their kids' leftover milkshakes, anyway?  I wondered to myself. forgo my usual afternoon cup of tea. Insert personal pity party right here. Earlier in the week, I had bought them a couple of chocolate milkshakes, and completely forgetting that I gave up chocolate for Lent, I took a sip, upon noticing Anders wasn't going to come close to finishing his, then remembered and had to watch them drink their shakes while I drank water.  I threw a tiny pity party in my head again as I threw the leftovers away, but I sat down with a good book, and I felt a flooding of relief and peace coming from nowhere. I’m finally doing some spiritual reading, and the book  Catherine of Siena , by Sigrid Undset, mingled with the deep conviction that observing Lent is so important to me, and I love it for my family, is giving me deep joy. Even though the momentary sacrifice feels painful, the

From  The Gospel of John  (2003) directed by Philip Saville Gospel   John 2:13-25  The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.    In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” continue reading the gospel Christ Driving the Moneychangers from the Temple   Rembrandt, c.1626. Pushkin Museum, Moscow [ Web Gallery of Art ] In 1990 I went to renew my driving lice

Order Online! Pope Francis encourages us to pray from the heart. In his Message for Lent 2015, he invokes the Sacred Heart of Jesus: During this Lent, then, brothers and sisters, let us all ask the Lord: "Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum": Make our hearts like yours (Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). In this way we will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is not closed, indifferent or prey to the globalization of indifference. I'm guessing a bunch of us have never seen--let alone prayed--the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so let's get to it! Some words may be unfamiliar, so use the handy little glossary as needed. Join me at  Praying with Grace   to discover the version  available  from the Apostleship of Prayer, which accommodates group prayer or inspires profound  private prayer, just you and Jesus.

Transfiguration of Christ , Paolo Veronese,1556, Cathedral of Santa Maria, Montagnana, Italy  Gospel   Mark 9:2-10      Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,   and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one   on earth could bleach them.   And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.   Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,   one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”   He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.     Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved;   listen to him!”   Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. continue reading Bishop Edward Galvin (1882 - 1956) After his ordination in 1909 for his native Diocese of Cork in the sou

How is your Lent going?  I know it's only a week in, but I'm asking for a friend. Not really.  I'm asking for me because mine got off to a rocky start and I'm hoping I'm not the only one. You can read and comment here at Being Catholic ... Really .

Getty Images Driving to work yesterday, I   heard a story on NPR   about scientists studying the "hygiene hypothesis." The thinking behind the hypothesis goes like this: Developed countries have detergents, sanitizers, and machines to clean things in ways humans have never cleaned things before. We also don't hang out around livestock like our ancestors did Back In The Day. Children who grow up in these super-clean environments lose contact with good old-fashioned GERMS, tricking their bodies into thinking every microbe in town is hazardous. Thus, their adorable little immune systems go berserk: #eczema #allergies # asthma Are we  too clean ? Please join me at Praying with Grace to reflect and comment on how our faith might be too sterile, as well. Do children need to suffer?

  Thoughts to Ponder I choose to surrender the clutter in my life, heart, spirit So Jesus will set me free from stuff, Then fill me with His Loving Presence. May the things of this world fall away  so I may fall in love with God. God can only fill the empty places. Grace does what I cannot do. Jesus will have to do everything. This is true humility Pride  entices me to work harder,  pray more,  fast religiously,  perform heroic acts of virtue.  Humility  accepts that only God can save me  and other people. It is my job simply to surrender in prayer  and give Him permission to flow through me. continue

DON'T STOP DOING IT FOR LENT !!! This is the time when people try to give up something for Lent - which is good. But let's remember first of all that there is nothing we can do which would repay the great sacrifice Christ made for us on the Cross. Not a million prayers, a million candles, or a million flowers ... God does not need any of these "gifts" or sacrifices as repayment for His love for us. He is in no way diminished, lacking in any way, if we stop doing these things. But we do them all the same. We do them as a sign of reverence, love, and respect. And I repeat - this is good. Here's a short list of things we could do during Lent. 1 Give up something (chocolates) and give the proceeds to charity. 2 Do someone a good turn or a kindness. 3 Pray for someone without them knowing it. Just anyone, not only your  loved ones. If you see an old person struggling as they shuffle along in the street, or you hear of someone with a problem or difficulty;

Don't go away sad like the rich young ruler! Are you ready to begin the season of Lent? What does Lent have to do with St. Teresa of Avila’s teaching about the third mansions in the interior castle? Teresa offers us many images to aid our understanding of the interior life. First, she asks us to imagine the soul as a castle, with God the Divine King dwelling in the central room. Then she speaks of the first mansions as filled with reptiles. The second mansions are a battlefield. What of the third? The person in the third mansions, she says, is like the rich young man of the Gospel. He has great desires. He wants to inherit eternal life. He even goes so far as to keep the commandments. But, as we know, that wasn’t the end of the story. Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possess

I'll be giving up skydiving for Lent again this year: also mountain climbing, another activity I am profoundly unqualified for and uninterested in. ( February 13, 2013 ) So, what am I doing for Lent? Some folks in my circles are going offline for Lent — refraining from socializing online. That's a good idea: but I won't be changing my online habits. Not much, anyway.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I can't believe how long it has taken me to write this post, nor how soon it is until Ash Wednesday. We all know that it is customary to give something up for Lent, but before we choose what that is this year, I wanted to share some different perspectives on "giving up" that will bring us closer to the LORD. Here they are in seven quick takes. Source 1 Look beyond chocolate and soda. Give up those bad habits. We all have them. Lent is the perfect time to refocus our lives off of our selves and onto God. Nail biting and chewing on pen caps aren't sins, but they are bad habits that are controlling you instead of the other way around.  Practicing self denial not only reigns in your impulses and ground you in more conscious behavior. While it may seem woeful to live without ice cream for forty days, finally kicking that habit will be harder but more fulfilling. Being conscious of your every behavior affords the ability to put God first in all things because you