Lent has developed a very special place in my heart. The older I get, it seems the busier I get as well. Lent provides a time for me to focus in on what is important in my life and try to cut out the things that are creating stress, chaos, and distraction. I get to focus each and every day on my walk with God and engage my whole family in the process as well. I LOVE things that can be done as a family and Lent provides such a wonderful time for the family to come together and as one of my favorite people says, "Do something beautiful for God." I really love that there are several significant Jewish and Catholic celebrations that coincide during this time. Somehow honoring the passover meal as Jesus did his entire life really makes it so special. More to come on that later.
My original post (not much has changed except for some ideas at the bottom):
http://greatandholyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/02/fast-pray-give.html
Holiday: Lent- the time from Ash Wednesday to Easter
Celebration: The 40 day period that represents the 40 days that Jesus was in the desert before he started his public ministry and also is symbolic of the 40 years the Israelites spent in exile after the exodus. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.
Celebration: The 40 day period that represents the 40 days that Jesus was in the desert before he started his public ministry and also is symbolic of the 40 years the Israelites spent in exile after the exodus. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.
This video does a great job of explaining the key points of the Lenton season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3L3c23MfC0&feature=youtu.be
Historical background:
Lent is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting, special prayer and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. The name "Lent" is from the Middle English Lenten and Anglo-Saxon Lenten, meaning spring; its more primitive ecclesiastical name was the "forty days," tessaracoste in Greek. The number "forty" is first noted in the Canons of Nicaea (A.D. 325), likely in imitation of Jesus' fast in the desert before His public ministry (with Old Testament precedent in Moses and Elijah). By the fourth century, in most of the West, it referred to six days' fast per week of six weeks (Sundays were excluded); in the seventh century the days from Ash Wednesday through the First Sunday were added to make the number forty.
Biblical basis:
The concept comes from Holy Scripture, inspired by the acts of Jesus, Himself, and then His Apostles. The practice of fasting is very common theme in the New Testament. But the sacrifices of the 40 days of Lent are directly inspired by Christ's very own experience in the desert, where he did not eat or drink for 40 days and was tempted by the devil afterward.
If Christ, Himself, who is perfect and without any sin, was lead by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days and be tempted, then as sinners, it is definitely a wonderful opportunity to engage in those acts as well. He goes on to instruct how we are to fast, by appearing as if we are not fasting, so that only God knows what we are doing. We also see that whenever the Apostles needed wisdom, they fasted and prayed, first.
Both Christ and the Apostles engaged in this sacrifice as preparation for something bigger, and to strengthen themselves, spiritually, for their service to the Lord, much like what we are hoping to accomplish during this season of Lent.
Matthew 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
7Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 6:16-18
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Luke 2:37
Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.
Acts 13:3So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Create a prayer, alms, or sacrifice jar to help children really focus in on the meaning of the season.
**Focus on a different saint each week and how that saint was an excellent example of praying, fasting, and giving- do a coloring sheet of this saint and hang it by the Lenten cross you made as a reminder of someone you can look to for an example of how to follow Jesus
-Fun family ideas:
**Attend a Knights of Columbus fish fry!
**Use the calendar here to remind you of ways you can pray, fast, and give on a daily basis- great way for the family to start the morning together.
Historical background:
Lent is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting, special prayer and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. The name "Lent" is from the Middle English Lenten and Anglo-Saxon Lenten, meaning spring; its more primitive ecclesiastical name was the "forty days," tessaracoste in Greek. The number "forty" is first noted in the Canons of Nicaea (A.D. 325), likely in imitation of Jesus' fast in the desert before His public ministry (with Old Testament precedent in Moses and Elijah). By the fourth century, in most of the West, it referred to six days' fast per week of six weeks (Sundays were excluded); in the seventh century the days from Ash Wednesday through the First Sunday were added to make the number forty.
Biblical basis:
The concept comes from Holy Scripture, inspired by the acts of Jesus, Himself, and then His Apostles. The practice of fasting is very common theme in the New Testament. But the sacrifices of the 40 days of Lent are directly inspired by Christ's very own experience in the desert, where he did not eat or drink for 40 days and was tempted by the devil afterward.
If Christ, Himself, who is perfect and without any sin, was lead by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days and be tempted, then as sinners, it is definitely a wonderful opportunity to engage in those acts as well. He goes on to instruct how we are to fast, by appearing as if we are not fasting, so that only God knows what we are doing. We also see that whenever the Apostles needed wisdom, they fasted and prayed, first.
Both Christ and the Apostles engaged in this sacrifice as preparation for something bigger, and to strengthen themselves, spiritually, for their service to the Lord, much like what we are hoping to accomplish during this season of Lent.
Matthew 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
7Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 6:16-18
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Luke 2:37
Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.
Acts 13:3So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Create a prayer, alms, or sacrifice jar to help children really focus in on the meaning of the season.
With the Sacrifice Jar, each day your child can do something kind for someone else, say a prayer for someone special, help out with an extra chore, or make a small sacrifice on their level. When they do so, they move one bean from their "Name" jar to the family "Sacrifice" jar. And, if you forget one day, you can always double up another day.
If you're at a loss for ideas on Sacrifices your child can make each day, here are a few to get you started:
Let a sibling choose the game, book, or movie.
Share a toy with a sibling for a whole day (or half a day).
Clean up the toys without being asked or after being asked just once.
Help bring in dishes after a meal.
Give up play time to help mom or dad.
Pray for 5 people.
Say one decade of the rosary.
Practice a new prayer.
Choose one toy to give away.
Help make cookies or a meal to bless someone with.
Make a card and send to someone who might need cheering up.
Every time the children do something thoughtful, kind, or without complaining/whining, add beans to the jar. On Easter, you can replace all the beans with a very special candy of some sort: a tangible representation of how Jesus takes all our measly efforts, which are literally "worth beans," and with His grace and merits transforms them into something very sweet and lovely indeed!
**Have the children make their very own stations of the cross to do at home or bring with them when you go to stations at church! There are all kinds of examples online, but I like this one because you can take it with you. This site has a GREAT how-to for making your own set.
http://www.catholicicing.com/stations-of-cross-eggs-for-catholic/
-Fun family ideas:
**Attend a Knights of Columbus fish fry!
**Use the calendar here to remind you of ways you can pray, fast, and give on a daily basis- great way for the family to start the morning together.
http://bustedhalo.com/features/fast-pray-give-2013
**Make pretzels as a family while practicing your prayers! Pretzels originated in Europe during the Middle Ages. A monk was making unleavened bread for Lent with flour and water because eggs, milk and lard were not consumed as part of the Lenten fast. He twisted some of the dough into the shape of people praying with both arms folded across their chests. He decided it would be a perfect treat for children learning to say their prayers. He called the treats pretiola, the Latin word for "little reward."
**Volunteer together
**Use the little black book! They are wonderful. They have daily prayers, reflections, and devotions for the time of lent. (littlebooks.org)
-Religious traditions:
**This wreath is a beautiful way for children to participate in and understand the meaning of the entire Lenten season and the journey Jesus went on. I want to get one for the future for sure!
http://adventtolenttoascensionwreath.blogspot.com/2010/08/t-he-light-of-world-that-mary-carried_26.html
**Visit a Stations of the Cross ceremony
**Spend quiet time in adoration
**Take part in the sacrament of confession
How we are celebrating:
Aaron and I have established a bit of a system for celebrating this year. Sometimes, I have so many ideas and trying to incorporate them all would be crazy. so we are trying to develop the most meaningful ways of honoring the season. This year, I made a special centerpiece for the table and we say a prayer and light a candle each night to remember the 40 days Jesus was in the desert. Since the purpose of Lent is to focus on praying, fasting, and giving, we decided that each week we would think of a different way to pray, fast, and give together while maintaining our own Lenten sacrifices separately. We also have highlighted a different saint each week and focused in on how they lived their life for God. It has been such a great way to celebrate the season together. We have had the opportunity to give back to lots of people that we love, value, and respect, have spent time trying different forms of prayer together, and have fasted from various things that we see as luxurious or excessive in our life. Through our weekly focuses, we have gone to a penance service, spent time in adoration, are planning to attend Stations of the Cross. I have really enjoyed feeling like we are on this journey together. We also decided it would be fun to try a different pretzel each Friday. I LOVE the story of how the pretzel was invented and plan to do this with children in the future while practicing our prayers. We also kept with the tradition of reading from our little black book each day; it is the perfect opportunity to pause and reflect.
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