Three Ways to Prepare for Lent

By David Kilby

We are in a spiritual crisis. Our society sees religion as just a nonessential cultural expression. Our secular culture has deprived us of true, deep, and meaningful inspiration, but has provided us with an abundance of hyperstimulation and dopamine rushes. It’s no wonder employers offer two week’s vacation each year and a 401K plan, because they understand our need to escape from the life we’ve built for ourselves. But what if we could make a place within our own hearts, minds and souls, where we could escape and recuperate whenever we perceived the need to do so? In part, this is what Lent can do for us. 

Lent is a time of detox. It’s a time to step back from the fray and examine our souls. In this article, I’d like to propose that we start preparing for Lent now so we set ourselves up for success and realistic expectations when the season comes. Here are some ways to do that:

1. Adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Find an Adoration chapel, and pray there some time before Lent. This will provide the proper environment to quiet your heart and hear what God is calling you to do this Lent. 
2. Take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus began his ministry by saying “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). It’s never a bad time to heed His words. 
3. Restart, recharge, or reconsider your New Year’s Resolution with a spiritual boost. Sometimes a closer look at our souls could provide the renewal we were missing earlier in the year.

Adoration

When trying to disconnect from the onslaught of daily troubles, look no further than your local Adoration chapel. Eucharistic adoration is good for so many things. Adoring Christ in the Eucharist can be a mini personal retreat, a chance to recuperate and afterwards pursue God’s will with renewed strength.

Adoration is also a great way to give thanks to God for his blessings. After all, Eucharist does come from the Greek word eukharistia, meaning “thanksgiving”. What better way to show someone that you appreciate them than by spending quality time with them?  Eucharistic adoration is an ideal place to pray, and every prayer should start with gratitude. Lent is a way to draw closer to God. If we familiarize ourselves with well-known practices that have been known to draw us close to him, such as Adoration, Lent will be a much more fulfilling experience.

Adoration chapels are also a great place to read spiritual works. It’s quiet, you’re in the Presence of the Lord, and most chapels provide a little library from which you can choose your favorite book. 

 There are three great websites to help you find an Adoration chapel: 

1. TheRealPresence.org
2. WeAdoreHim.com
3. AdorationFinder.org

Eucharistic adoration is a gift from God that helps us to pray in peace, and prepare our hearts for the Lord. Another essential part of this preparation is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

Confession

Penance is an essential part of being a Christian. It is an opportunity to receive God’s grace and start anew. We all need renewal. We can all make room for more of God’s grace in our lives. 

Starting anew is something we should seek to do often. The more renewal we strive for, the more seeds we can plant in our own lives and the lives of others. But seeding requires tilling of the soil first, and that can be difficult. Repenting is hard and often painful, but it is the means by which we clear a path for God. So, the next time someone tells you that you should go to confession, don’t look at it as a condescending admonishment. Rather, consider it an invitation back into the Body of Christ because that’s what it really is. 

But aren’t we all members of his body? Aren’t we all children of God? No, not exactly. Those who are baptized are children of God. We are all created by God and made in his image, but due to the Fall we are no longer heirs of his kingdom unless we are baptized and remain in the state of grace. God is perfect. Only those who are completely purged of their sins can live with him for eternity. We cannot be purged of our sins without God’s grace. That is what the season of Lent is designed to do: it is a way of letting God into our souls so he can do some housekeeping and prepare us for heaven. Just like cleaning our house, it is difficult, but oh so worth it. 

We are physical beings, and require physical activity in order to really get in touch with our spiritual selves. Perhaps that is why the process of physically cleaning does have a feeling of spiritual purging going on as I clean. Allow me to continue with the house cleaning analogy. Maybe this is just a personal experience, but oftentimes I can feel the sins on my soul falling away with every scrub of the shower, every push of the vacuum, and every dish I wash. As I see the stubborn soap scum wash away, I also feel the deepest concupiscence in my soul disintegrate.

I can think of no better analogy for Lent, in fact. We often clean our homes before guests arrive. We are preparing it for them so everyone can enjoy the space together. Similarly, we clean our souls during Lent because we are inviting God to dwell there. Often, I admit, I try to make quick work of cleaning by just wiping down the countertops and spraying some air freshener in each room. But thorough, deep cleaning requires long, hard work just like the 40 days of Lent.

We are not trying to earn our way to heaven by fasting, praying and almsgiving. These acts help scrub away our own concipiscence and stubbornness to make way for God. He’s the one who does the real work of saving our souls. Our lenten devotions are just our way of getting out of his way. Just like penance, preparing a way for the Lord is also a theme we see at the start of Christ’s ministry. In the very beginning of his Gospel, Mark quotes Isaiah:

A New Year’s Resolution Renewal

Even with this ancient tradition of Lent though, Catholics are still known for going as far as they could to enjoy themselves without actually forfeiting their lenten commitments. We even have Mardis Gras, one last day of splurging before fasting. I love Mardis Gras because it shows the human side of Catholics, but I also find it curious how similar Fat Tuesday is to New Year’s Eve. While the reason for enjoying ourselves on these two days may be different, both are seen as excuses to party before diving headlong into a serious commitment, or resolution. Who would have thought the liturgical and secular calendars could have such a parallel?

The secular calendar and liturgical calendars sort of complement each other in other ways too. For instance, Advent gives us about a month to figure out what our New Year’s resolution should be by inviting us to make a thorough examination of conscience as we prepare for the birth of our Lord. A good hope to have is that, after we search our souls and prepare for Jesus’ arrival, we discover the ideal resolution for ourselves come New Year’s Day. Usually by mid-winter though, our determination to fulfill our New Year’s resolution has died off and we need to start over. 

Enter Lent, an opportunity for us to revisit our resolutions with a more spiritual lens. This time, we are invited to examine the true roots of our lack of willpower. The mid-winter weeks, with their cold days and storms, make any kind of commitment difficult. But these darker days are a great time to dig down deep and figure out the real reasons for why we struggle to be the person we want to be—and who God wants us to be—through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

If you’ve struggled to keep up your New Year’s resolution, consider giving it another shot as you prepare for Lent. If you’re keeping up your resolution just fine, consider adding a spiritual element. For instance, if you resolved to walk a mile a day, try praying a Rosary during the walk. There are many ways to add a soul-focused layer to our New Year’s resolution, and it’s never too early or too late to do so. At the very least, it will strengthen our willpower as we prepare to take on our lenten devotions.

Mortification in Spirit

The more we work hard to thrive in virtue, the more God can work with us. This spiritual work requires some physical mortification that helps us get in touch with God. As Jesus said to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, encouraging them to fight their weariness and stay awake, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

About the Author:

David Kilby is a freelance writer from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report. He received his undergrad degree in humanities and Catholic culture from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition to working with the Knights of the Holy Eucharist (knights.org), he has served as a journalist for Princeton Packet Publications, and the Trenton Monitor, the magazine for the Diocese of Trenton. Some of his published work can also be found in St. Anthony Messenger, Catholic Herald (UK), and Catholic World Report. For the latter he is managing editor. Find more of his writing at ramblingspirit.com