Growing in Our Faith through Lenten Practices

By CINDY MEYERHOFER

Do you feel a stirring in your heart as we approach the season of Lent on March 5? It is my favorite time of year to draw nearer to Jesus through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving - reminiscent of the 40 days in the dessert that Jesus spent in prayer and fasting in preparation for his public ministry.

Unlike the Advent season, Lent offers a slower pace and there is simply more time to prepare for our desired growth in holiness through fasting, prayer and almsgiving. There are so many options available from great books, podcasts, retreats and parish missions. Sometimes I tend to focus on all the great resources and miss the importance of silence and prayer to really discern what God is asking of me. So, you may be wondering what the Catholic Church teaches us about prayer, fasting and almsgiving and how to create a personal plan to grow closer to the Lord this Lent.

Prayer

While we may not be able to go into the desert for 40 days of prayer, we can perhaps strive for 40 minutes of daily prayer or volunteer for a few hours of Eucharistic Adoration or attend a few daily masses. A friend recently shared a free app called Discerning Hearts (discerninghearts. com/catholic-podcasts/). It has a wealth of content for Catholic prayer, meditation and contemplation to help you grow in your prayer life while doing your ordinary activities of driving to work or school, and household chores. Another free app is Laudate (available in the Google Play Store), with daily Mass readings, Liturgy of the Hours, New American Bible, Confession, the Catechism, and other Catholic Media. We are also blessed to have access to the Word on Fire prayer resources (wordonfire.org). Making time for silence and prayer can help you notice unhealthy attachments that you may wish to “fast” from this Lent.

Fasting

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) defines fasting as the voluntary reduction of food intake for spiritual purposes. It is typically observed during certain times in the liturgical calendar, especially during Lent, as a way to grow closer to God, seek penance, and cultivate self-discipline. The requirements include:

• Fasting for all Catholics age 18 until age 59 on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday to include one full meal and two smaller meals that don’t add up to a full meal.

• Abstaining from meat for all Catholics age 14 or older on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. The USCCB also allows the substitution of some other form of penance for abstinence on all of the Fridays of the year, except for those Fridays in Lent.

• Children, pregnant and nursing women, and people with physical or mental illnesses are exempt from fasting.

The spiritual benefits of fasting include a closer connection to God, humility and sorrow for sins, selfdiscipline, discernment of God’s Will, and spiritual healing to name a few. I encourage you to fast from anything that draws you away from the Lord, and use that time for prayer or almsgiving.

Almsgiving

Almsgiving is more broadly focused on providing financial or other types of support to the poor, widows, orphans, and those in need. The recipients are not limited to a specific religious group. Jesus spoke often about how we are to give alms “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:24)

Examples of almsgiving may include financial support, giving away food, clothing and toys, volunteering your time and talent to help those less fortunate, providing medical or educational assistance, and random acts of kindness. Almsgiving cultivates compassion, humility and gratitude and helps you to become more like Christ.

If you feel a longing for something more, God is likely calling you to go into the deep this Lent, and I pray that the Holy Spirit guides you to find the resources that will best feed your soul.

Cindy Meyerhofer is the director of human resources for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.