With Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent rapidly approaching, I want to share my resolution for Lent this year to give a few ideas for anyone exploring what to do for Lent, as well as commit to my own resolution.
When I was younger, I always struggled with deciding what to give up for Lent. I didn’t eat much fast food or drink soda, so the things other kids were picking didn’t make a lot of sense for me. In some sense, I understood why giving something up was important and spiritually enriching; by giving something up, I was preparing my heart for Jesus’ Resurrection and connecting with the suffering he experienced during his 40 days of fasting and prayer in the desert. On the other hand, I struggled with seeing how simply giving up a certain kind of food would have anything to do with bringing me closer to Jesus.
One day during my freshman year of high school, my family went to mass at the parish at the local university. Scattered throughout the pews there were cards with ”don’t give up chocolate for Lent” written on them. As someone who had struggled with finding simply giving up something fulfilling, I visited the website on the card. From there, I discovered Dynamic Catholic’s daily reflection videos for Lent. For someone who is looking to explore the intersection of Christianity’s beliefs and living it out everyday, these videos are a perfect fit, and I highly recommend them.
After a few years of doing Dynamic Catholic’s Lent program, I decided to come up with my own mix of giving something up and adding something to my life. Last year, I gave up allowing myself to judge others or get annoyed. While it was undoubtedly challenging, the transformation I experienced from reframing my dialogue to uplifting thoughts and prayers was beautiful. This was such an impactful change that it is something I have kept doing to this day since Lent almost a year ago.
For the past month, I have been actively searching for ideas of what to do for Lent this year. I want to add something to my life and choose to do something that will lead me closer to God every day of Lent. The past few weeks, I have listened to a little voice inside of me telling me to pray the rosary each day. Thus, my Lenten commitment was born: praying the rosary every day of Lent. This Lent, I am giving up the option of choosing to not pray the rosary every day. I will grow closer to Jesus and better come to know what it means to live a Christian life by praying the rosary each and every day.
I encourage you to join this challenge with me. Praying the rosary allows for meditating on the Holy Mysteries and taking a prayerful journey through key moments in the Gospel. It is a way to contemplate Jesus through his moments of great joy and glory, sadness and pain and light. At the very least, I encourage you to see the beauty and grace in the world around us this Lent to get a glimpse at the great love our God has for us.
Know that you are so loved, dear reader. I am praying for you.
Xoxo
Victoria
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