Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms, and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).

In Lent, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare to be baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to become Catholics.
 
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Lent is hard.
We're only partway into this penitential season and already we can feel defeated.

Maybe you’ve already broken those Lenten resolutions you made with such determination. Maybe you’re struggling with fasting and physical penance. Maybe you’ve kept all your Lenten intentions but still feel burdened and depleted spiritually.

For some of us, the sacrifices we've committed to can feel burdensome, and the demands of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving can weigh heavily on our busy lives.

No matter where you find yourself this Lent, remember that these small defeats are an important part of your Lenten journey!

It is within these difficulties that we can find profound opportunities for growth and grace.

St. Teresa of Avila teaches us that those who walk closest to Christ often endure the greatest trials, and Lent is an opportunity to walk with Christ in the desert. Yet she reminds us that God will never abandon us in these struggles. Rather, He will always provide us with the strength necessary to suffer them well. She wrote:

 “Courage, courage, my daughters. Remember that God does not give anyone more trials than can be suffered and that his majesty is with the afflicted. For this is certain; there is no reason to fear but to hope in his mercy. He will reveal the whole truth; and some machinations, which the devil kept hidden so as to create a disturbance, will be made known.”

 These small moments of weakness and difficulty are also opportunities for profound humility. Sometimes the lessons of Lent are not beautiful ones of self-sacrifice, but difficult ones of personal humility. The lessons learned in weakness will teach us that we cannot trust ourselves to be strong; rather, we must rely on God, who gives us His strength in abundance.

 Strength requires struggle and our spiritual lives require strength. This Lent, remind yourself to remain in the Lord’s strength.

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