Renewing one’s Lenten practice

While it’s true that Easter is fast approaching, many of us are still focused on observing Lent. During the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday, we are called to fasting (limiting some of our meals), abstinence (giving up favorite foods or pastimes), and almsgiving (works of charity), prayer and the study of scripture. The goal of all these practices is our ongoing inner conversion, the changes in our heart that will renew our determination to follow Christ’s example.

As we try to make the most of these final weeks of Lent, we might consider incorporating a suggestion or two that have helped others find Lent more meaningful. Here are some ideas:

How about a movie? In an essay for America magazine, (March 21, 2025) John Dougherty recommends watching and reflecting on the 2010 movie, The Way. Martin Sheen portrays an American father whose son has died in his effort to walk the miles-long pilgrimage route of the Santiago de Compostela. The Way casts the father’s journey as a penance, a story of grief, grace, hope and healing. The film is streaming now on Peacock and may be rented on Amazon Prime and Apple TV. The movie inspires inner dialogue and may spark revealing discussions if shared with others.

Refresh your memory of the Triduum. The three liturgies beginning with Holy Thursday, continuing on Good Friday and culminating in the Easter vigil comprise one observance of the Paschal mystery. All of them are packed with dramatic and moving practices that carry the faithful from a servant community, to the cross and, finally, to the declaration that “Christ has Risen.” For those who haven’t attended these services recently, this may be the year to resume the practice. See Msgr. Patrick S. Brennan's piece on this page, Faith Traditions.

Recall and reflect on an Easter memory. Two Sundays ago, I sat in a pew behind a young couple with two small children, who seemed wide-eyed by the sacred space that surrounded them. It brought back memories of taking our two sons to the Easter vigil. I remember that they were curious about why anyone would wash another’s feet in church, by the veneration of the cross, the crackling holy fire of the vigil, and the candle-lit procession into a darkened church. Every year, we’d talk about the Triduum ahead of time and do our best to answer any new questions they asked. In the early years, of course, they would fall asleep during the readings. I remember the time when, as we were shaking hands and leaving the church after the vigil, the late Archbishop William Levada bent down to speak to the older of our two toddlers.  Apparently, the archbishop had noticed our son  sleeping in the front pew of the church. “Just remember, my boy,” he said, “it doesn’t get any longer than this.”

Commit a few days to studying one passage or book of the Bible. A few years ago, a friend challenged me to study Lamentations during Holy Week. It’s a book that I had read years ago and remembered not at all. The title itself had discouraged me. But, with a couple of Bible commentaries at hand, I spent an hour or so a day, reading, thinking and praying over the book’s five chapters. Lines of text still come to me in times of despair, longing and hope. The Gospels are full of Holy Week stories, any of which warrant a careful and prayerful reading.

Ponder the Stations of the Cross. Some parishes offer a communal experience during Lent.

Some believers walk from station to station on their own, and still others sit quietly in a pew and pray in silence as their gaze moves from station to station. However you observe this devotion, sometimes referred to as the Way of the Cross, whether you walk from station to station or sit quietly in a pew, it is a journey within the journey of Lent, an open invitation to join Jesus on his fateful walk. The text of Pope Francis’ 2024 meditations on the Way of the Cross are online.

Consider a reconciliation service. About four in ten Catholic adults say they go to confession at least once a year, according to a recent survey. Those of us who haven’t received the sacrament in a while might feel drawn to a communal service. Many parishes offer them during Lent. The process (another journey of Lent) of reflecting on your life, your understanding of sin, and the freedom of forgiveness can reinvigorate your experience of honesty, humility and gratitude.  

It’s true, Easter Sunday is April 20, but we are still in Lent, preparing for the most holy of days.

— Nancy Haught