By: Roberto Chavez
Lent is fast approaching (Ash Wednesday is March 2nd!!!!)!
While we normally focus on that one thing that we give up for Lent, please remember that there is a three-prong focus to the Lenten season: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving.
What is a way that you want to grow in your faith this Lent?
Here are a few ways that you can deepen your spiritual journey this Lent:
1) Start with prayer- even now- is God calling you to grow in your spiritual life in a particular way?
2) Get a good Lenten prayer book. There are SO MANY out there- find one that fits you best. There are some specifically for parents, women, people who are looking to overcome addiction, and for those who are new to Lent.
3) Fasting is more than giving up one thing for Lent or eating fish on Fridays. Fasting is about letting go of those things that we don't need and letting go of bad habits (like scrolling on Facebook at 10pm instead of getting to sleep).
4) Almsgiving ties this trio together. Once you have spent some time in prayer and once you have shed away some of the things that hold you back through fasting, now it is time to truly let these things go.
5) When giving alms, remember, this is not about giving only from an excess or purging "junk" from the closets. Almsgiving is a time of generosity- not a time for junk removal. When you give food- don't just donate the lone can of bamboo shoots or the pie filling that you'll never get to. Gather some of the things that you yourself would use or appreciate. The same goes for the clothes in the closet- almsgiving isn't donated that old shirt with the barbeque stain on the front of it, it is about letting go of the clothes that still has life left in it.
6) The last thing to remember during Lent as we practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. This is all part of a journey of faith- we will not do this perfectly. We will struggle to keep up our fasting- especially when we drive past a Chick-fil-a on a Friday. We will struggle to pray- especially when we would rather sleep. We will struggle to give alms when we want to cling to our worldly possessions.
At the end of the day- all of this is possible, but it must start with prayer.
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