Preparing for Lent: Fasting. Almsgiving. Prayer.

Through the traditional practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, which are an expression of our commitment to conversion, Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way.~Pope Benedict XVI 2011 Lenten Message

The time of Lent is drawing near. This year Lent begins on March 9th which is also known as Ash Wednesday. Over the last few days Hubby and I have been reflecting on our plans for Lent. There are so many ideas out there but we've come to the conclusion that it is important to keep things simple during this time.

FASTING

Fasting [...] takes on a profoundly religious significance for the Christian: by rendering our table poorer, we learn to overcome selfishness in order to live in the logic of gift and love; by bearing some form of deprivation – and not just what is in excess – we learn to look away from our "ego", to discover Someone close to us and to recognize God in the face of so many brothers and sisters. ~Pope Benedict XVI 2011 Lenten Message

Friday Lenten Meals.
During Lent I will not be posting my regular weekly menu. Instead every Friday I'll post a simple vegetarian Friday Lenten meal.

Media.
During Lent I will be giving up daytime computer use as well as secular shows and movies.

ALMSGIVING

The greed of possession leads to violence, exploitation and death; for this, the Church, especially during the Lenten period, reminds us to practice almsgiving – which is the capacity to share. [...] The practice of almsgiving is a reminder of God's primacy and turns our attention towards others, so that we may rediscover how good our Father is, and receive his mercy. ~Pope Benedict XVI 2011 Lenten Message

Development and Peace Share Lent Campaign.
We will be following the solidarity calendar and making a donation at the end of Lent to support the Development and Peace partners in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

PRAYER

By meditating and internalizing the Word in order to live it every day, we learn a precious and irreplaceable form of prayer; by attentively listening to God, who continues to speak to our hearts, we nourish the itinerary of faith initiated on the day of our Baptism. [W]hen we pray, we find time for God, to understand that his "words will not pass away" (cf. Mk 13: 31), to enter into that intimate communion with Him "that no one shall take from you" (Jn 16: 22), opening us to the hope that does not disappoint, eternal life. ~Pope Benedict XVI 2011 Lenten Message

The Jesus Tree. 
This is similar to the Jesse Tree but for Lent instead of Advent. We have found the Jesus Tree to be a great way to involve Monkey in preparing for Easter.

Lenten reading.
Hubby and I have both selected books to read for Lent. My choice is End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life. To be honest I'm a little nervous about reading it. This book significantly affected the life of St. Terese de Lisieux... what will it do to mine?

Lenten house cleaning and fixing-up.
I've created a list of house cleaning and fix-ups that Hubby and I will work through during Lent. We want to joyfully prepare our home for the celebration of Easter.