What should we give up for Lent?
This is our younger children's view of how to observe the sacrificial season of Lent. I have a tendency to "over-plan and overwhelm", which normally ends in dismal failure. So, this year I am aiming for the elusive balance that will challenge us, force us from our comfort zone and hopefully, into spiritual growth, but not overwhelm us.
This article was a tremendous help and inspiration for me. I realized that I really do need a plan. We all do.
So, hubby and I sat down with the kids yesterday and began planning for Lent. I made a worksheet for each of us listing the three foci (sp?) for Lent: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving with 2 subheadings under each category. One was 'individual' and the other was 'family'. We brainstormed about the things we wanted to do as a family:
*
Jesus Tree readings (making the actual Jesus tree kit will perhaps become a summer project)
* Evening Rosary
* Eucharistic Adoration- one hour per week (which will hopefully become permanent, not just a Lenten practice)
* 12:10pm Mass at our Parish on Tuesdays and Fridays
* Stations of the Cross on Fridays
One of our traditional Lenten practices is doing the Stations of the Cross at home. Our version includes lighting 12 candles, with one to be blown out after each of the first 12 stations. At Station 12, when Jesus dies on the cross, the candle is blown out and we are in darkness, because the Light has gone from the world. Dad, aided by a flashlight, leads us in the last 2 stations in darkness. It keeps the kids focused and involved--they love blowing out candles. We use a child's station of the cross booklet (I've ordered new ones for this year). We will try to go to Stations at our Church at least once during Lent.
We will be fasting from sweets (not 'Sweets'--our family:) and electronics as a family. We also decided that we eat out waaaaay too much, so we will curtail that practice and donate the money we save to our local St. Vincent de Paul society.
We discussed some ideas for our personal Lenten sacrifices and let everyone think and pray about what each of us will do individually for Lent. Tonight we will meet with the children and help them firm up their plans.
This sounds kind of like "overkill", but experience has shown me that we tend to make excuses for not keeping our Lenten sacrifices when our plans are not concrete. I for one am excited to have it all written out for me...like a contract...I just need that.
I even made plans for our Lenten Altar!
Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday:* purple cloth
* the crucifix my mil brought back from the Holy Land
*
Salt dough Crown of Thorns.* purple candle
The candles we use for the Stations of the Cross will adorn our dining room table. I will try to get pix and post them once we get it all set up.
Holy Week:
* purple cloth
* grotto
* crucifix
* statue of Christ in Gethsemane
* vase of palms
The crown of thorns will move to the dining room table.
Easter Altar* white and gold altar cloth
* empty grotto with the stone rolled aside
* Risen Christ statue
*
homemade Paschal Candle* and flowers!!!!
The crown of thorns, devoid of toothpicks/thorns, will be beautifully transformed and will adorn the table.
I am pretty sure I am going to steal
Jessica's Lenten Calendar idea, too. We will be using
this great book with the kids during co-op. The DVDs "
Jesus of Nazareth" and "
The Passion of the Christ" will also have a place in our Lenten program. (The Passion will NOT be seen by the littles)
I have firmed up my own personal resolutions, but I am still up in the air about my spiritual reading. I am considering several different books--
The Love Dare,
The Domestic Church, Room by Room,
Full of Grace, the
Dolorous Passion of Our Lord by Anne Catherine Emmerich and
The Privilege of Being a Woman. But I haven't decided yet. I am open to suggestions, also!
It's a really good feeling to be so prepared. I really hope this will be a very fruitful Lent. As our visiting priest said on Sunday, "Your Easter will only be as good as your Lent."
Let the penance begin!!
My heart is so heavy tonight. I just spoke with a very dear childhood friend whose husband has been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He is 42 years old. They have 4 children.
