Dear Mom,

This is a great question. I would imagine that many parents are seeking ways to experience the fullness of the season of Lent. Our Catholic faith is so rich and allows for this time of reflection in the Liturgical year, so that we may better travel towards the Lord.

I remember Lenten traditions from my own childhood. These traditions were looked forward to and became a part of my adult faith walk. We always participate in the Stations of the Cross and Benediction on Friday. I try to make time for attendance to Mass during the weekdays.

One tradition that my family has always looked forward to has been the night that we choose our 'Lenten promises.' This is the way the Sisters of Charity described our Lenten resolutions when I was a child in Catholic school. On slips of paper ask each member of the family to write down something to give up and something to do. Place all the slips of paper in a bowl and then have each member of the family choose a slip of paper. The rationale behind this exercise is two-fold. Because we do not choose the sorrows the Lord asks us to bear, the choosing of a penance should be handled in the same way. Adding a positive response to the selection of a sorrow, teaches that the Lord will bring good from sorrow.

We like to clean up and throw out our accumulated junk during Lent to ready our home for Easter. I like to take down all the frivolous pictures and replace them with spiritual ones, especially in the room where the altar resides.

Because our Catholic Faith teaches us to be active in the Body of Christ, I think that it is important to participate, as much as your situation allows, in all the Lenten activities that our churches have at our disposal. It is so uplifting for members of the faithful to see families, young and old, coming forward to walk the desert walk of Lent. We are all sojourners on this path towards Resurrection in Christ.

Usually churches will have available extra reading material for personal reflection. This can be used in the evening when the family comes together for the family rosary and night prayer.

My mother still recalls the times that she and her sisters would travel to nearby Catholic churches to participate in Benediction and special novenas said during Lent. This is a wonderful way to connect with the larger Body of Christ.

Lent is a holy time of reflection. The Gospel readings of Ash Wednesday instructed us as the faithful of the Lord to go into our inner rooms and pray. What marvelous advice! As parents we should set the example for our children and seek time to be alone in the quiet with Jesus. I will tell you that I have a habit of getting up in the morning and having a cup of tea, usually I use this time to pray. However, lately with all the developments in the news I have abandoned that time of prayer and instead I have been listening to the news. I am sorry for this. I feel that I have wasted the gift of quiet time that the Lord so generously bestowed. For my Lenten promise I have decided to return this time to the Lord. I did not think it would be difficult, but this morning I was anxious to turn on the radio and 'see what was happening.' I couldn't think or pray clearly. I was shocked to realize how quickly I had allowed the Tempter to make me dependent on the outside world. I decided to put on some religious music (the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph singing the Morning Praises) and try once again to return to the Lord in prayer. I am hopeful that by the end of Lent I will be a 'reformed' news addict. Pray for me, OK?

Let the Holy Spirit guide you and your family as you create traditions in your home. You are the Lord's faithful and generous daughter. Your question has brought me to personal reflection and seeking those ways in which I can better use the time of Lent. I praise the Lord and thank Him for your insights.

Jesus, how we love and treasure Your presence in our lives. Hold us tenderly and give us Your guidance as we travel through the desert of Lent. Help us to prepare our hearts to receive Your Risen Body in the Glory of Easter. We praise You and thank You for You are a good and loving Lord. Amen.

Sending out a prayer,
Rita Munn