In today’s second reading, St. Paul greets Timothy with encouraging words:

“Beloved, bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.”

All Christians are called to encourage one another. But those with the charism of encouragement are empowered to be an effective channel of God’s love by strengthening and healing individuals in remarkable ways through his or her presence and words.

Encouragers are exceptional nurturers and interested in the unique needs of individuals. People who are troubled or uncertain frequently seek them out for conversation and report that their lives have been changed for the better after spending time talking. Encouragers are exceptionally good listeners and feel energized and deeply connected to God when they are listening and talking to someone about personal issues.

If you are the one in your family or friend group who everyone calls when they need to discuss a personal crisis, you may have a charism for encouragement. But remember, the manifestations of charisms are only evident when you know Christ personally and have made the decision to follow him. It is then that you’ll begin to see how the Holy Spirit has equipped you to be the face of Christ to the world.

Vicki Compton is the Coordinator of Faith Formation and Mission at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, Illinois.

As I write this, I’m fresh off the experience of an epic five-week road trip with my son Adam. While the art and science of traveling 7,500 miles with a 19-year-old in a MINI Cooper is fodder for a blog post, I spent much of our adventure pondering a single Bible verse. In 1 Peter 3:15, the apostle offers encouragement to the faithful of his time:

“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.”

In the following verse, Peter teaches that their evangelization be tempered with gentleness and respect, and delivered with a clear conscience.

As we drove across the magnificent U.S. and into beautiful Canada on our excursion, Adam and I made literally scores of new friends along the road. It often happens that within a line or two of introduction, I share that I am a Catholic. My faith is as central to my being as my brown eyes or my vocation to motherhood. It defines me as a person, informs my actions, and lays foundation for my life’s greatest goals. And over the past few weeks I’ve found that venturing outside my comfort zone and into new venues provides a fresh perspective on those three words at the heart of 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be ready”.

Are You Ready?
With so much national news attention on our Church these days, I met folks in certain parts of the country who didn’t know a single Catholic, but were intrigued by what they’d heard of late about us. In separate conversations, I chatted with new non-Catholic friends who were following Pope Francis on Twitter or had heard about the Church’s humanitarian responses in Iraq, Syria and along the southern borders of our country.

These opening salvos, often delivered in a somewhat defensive manner, were an opening for me to share a bit about the Church I love and the God I serve. But I’ve learned to tread carefully in such moments. It’s easy, when someone asks us questions like this, to misperceive the motivation behind it.

Avoid Those Social Media Smack-downs
In some cases, we may hear their question as an attack and respond in similar fashion. If you’ve ever been involved in sharing your faith in a venue such as Facebook, you know how unproductive these types of dialogues can be. (In these moments, I try to remind myself of St. Peter’s instruction towards gentleness and respect.) We might hear a question about our faith and understand that behind it wait many other questions— deeper and more subtle—from new friends who are lost and seeking something in their lives. They may recognize in us something they desire for themselves: a sense of the peace, happiness, and grace that we experience as Christians. A simple, “What’s up with that pope of yours?!” delivered with a laugh could actually be an invitation to share the true reason for our hope.

But we may be sorely tempted to laugh back, dodge the bullet, and simply move the conversation along to safer pastures. In those moments, we fail to “always be ready”. We may avoid the temporary discomfort that accompanies sharing our faith, but we have also lost a golden opportunity to share the hope that is within us. It’s almost as though he foresaw twenty-first century “Evangelism 101” moments: the messiness of a Facebook faith smackdown, a Catholic combox war on a blog, or even the ugliness that can come up at a family dinner when one present has a disdain for our Church.

And in these verses, Peter provides exactly what I need to enable me to “always be ready”. By reminding me to “sanctify Christ as Lord” in my heart, St. Peter helps me to lay a firm foundation for these moments. For me, such sanctification isn’t an easy onestep process, but rather a day-to-day journey of prayer, reception of the sacraments, and trust in God’s ultimate wisdom and providence. I won’t claim that I’m successful every time an opportunity to share my faith presents itself, but these days I am making it a high priority to “always be ready.”

You Weren’t Made for Fear
The words that come after my favorite three (“always be ready”) in 1 Peter 3:13-15 hold the key ingredients to being ready when such opportunities present themselves:

“Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.”

Often, in praying with these verses, I marvel how St. Peter could have written something thousands of years ago that could be so relevant to the challenges I face today as a believer.

Now Over to You:
Have you ever had a friend or relative ask you a question that gave you the chance to share your faith? How did you reply?

Lisa M. Hendey is the Founder of CatholicMom.com and the author of The Grace of Yes and A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. Lisa writes in multiple Catholic venues and maintains an active speaking calendar, presenting on faith, family, technology and evangelization topics. Visit her at www.LisaHendey.com.

The Story of the Transfiguration maps out some steps we need to take in our journey of prayer. First, we must climb the mountain; second, we must look upon Jesus; and third, we must go back down the mountain to tell others what we have seen.

First, we must climb the mountain. Before revealing his glory to Peter, James, and John, Jesus leads them up a high mountain. Climbing a mountain takes a good deal of effort. There’s always the danger of falling off a cliff or running into a wild animal. Also, the higher one climbs, the thinner the air is and the harder it becomes to breathe.

The apostles’ experience teaches us something profound about the spiritual life. God often does not reveal himself until we are willing to make the hard journey up the mountain. That mountain could be a sin that we have to overcome, an unhealthy relationship, or sickness. Every challenge we experience is an invitation from God to climb the mountain so that He can reveal His glory to us. We may not understand why God has put those obstacles in our path and made things so hard for us. However, if we ask Him, He will give us the strength to endure whatever may come. And, with time, we will see and be amazed by God’s mercy.

The second truth of the spiritual life which the Transfiguration teaches us is that we are meant to see the vision of God. Unlike the apostles, we do not see Jesus face to face. How, then, do we get a glimpse of him in all his glory? The central and most important way is in the Mass. At every Eucharist, the Risen Lord is truly present in our midst. When the readings are proclaimed, it is Jesus’ voice that we hear. When we receive the Eucharist, we touch the body of the Risen Lord just as the apostles did, and we are transformed by him.

For that reason, the Sunday Mass is an indispensable part of our Christian life and spirituality. While it is very good to read the Bible, pray the rosary, and contemplate the beauty of nature, none of those activities compare with the gift offered us in the Eucharist. While those activities can give us some insight into Jesus and his love, they cannot actually give us Jesus himself as the Eucharist does. There is no substitute for the real, life-changing encounter we have with the Risen Lord in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood which we receive every Sunday.

The third truth of the spiritual life is that we cannot stay on the mountain. We have to go back down to witness to others the Jesus we have come to know.

The experience the apostles had of Jesus was overwhelming. It filled them both with awe and fear. Understandably, Peter does not want it to end. He wants to stay there, camping out with Jesus, Elijah, and Moses forever. But Jesus does not allow it. The vision of his glory comes to an abrupt end, and he leads them back down the mountain to continue preaching the good news and healing the sick.

Many times, when we are praying and feeling God’s presence all around us, we do not want it to end. We want to stay basking in the warmth of God’s love. That is entirely natural because we were created to praise God and never feel so much “at home” as when we are praying. But it is not enough. The spiritual life is never just a private affair. From worship, we must go into service. We must come down the mountain and point out the way to encounter God to others so that they may share our joy.

Douglas Sousa, S.T.L. is an author for Liturgical Publications, Inc., and writes reflections on various topics, including reflections on Sunday readings.

Temptation is real. It is not the stuff of legend and myth nor is it some figure of speech. Temptation is not sin although people sometimes confuse the two. Temptation is an invitation to turn from God and to serve ourselves. If we consent to temptation then the actual act that constitutes the turning from God is what is sinful. We know that temptation itself cannot be sinful because of the Gospel proclaimed to us this weekend from St. Matthew regarding Jesus being tempted by the devil.

Why was Jesus tempted? The Catechism (##538-540) teaches us that Jesus underwent temptation for us, to show us that we are not alone in our struggle to follow God’s will in our lives, and to show us that we can be victorious in the face of temptation. While the devil tempted Jesus through the allurements of pleasure, power, and honor, the basis for this temptation was Jesus’s sonship, to get the Lord to forget who he truly was. Twice in Matthew’s account of the temptation of Jesus the devil premises his temptations with “if you are the Son of God.” The devil tempted Jesus with a perverted notion of Jesus’s sonship, yet Jesus clung to the truth of His sonship which called for perfect obedience to the Father’s will. In the Garden, Adam and Eve lost sight of what it meant to be children of God, of the obedience that was expected of them and the grace that come as the fruit of obedience. Jesus, in His temptation and ultimately in the Cross, shows us that He is the new Adam whereby He completely and perfectly chooses the Father’s will over his own.

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask the Father to “lead us not into temptation.” Immediately we are faced with the problem of an insufficient translation from the original Greek to English. We do not have to ask God to not lead us into temptation. He won’t, because for him to do so would be contrary to his divine nature; God wants us to be free from the power of evil. However, God does allow us to be tempted. He allows us to be challenged to use the grace the He has given us to discern what is of Him (good) and what is not (evil). Facing temptation and overcoming it leads to spiritual growth. Again, this is why prayer, the sacraments, mediating on the Scriptures, and good works are all so important in our discipleship because these are pathways to the grace that we need.

Let us pray together that these Lenten days may be a time of increased grace for all us through our prayer, fasting, and acts of charity. The grace given to us, which is the fruit of these holy acts, will strengthen us in our struggle against temptation and evil and allow us to stand victorious with the Lord Jesus over the power of sin and death in our lives.

Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

The charism of evangelism empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s love by sharing the faith with others – baptized or not – in a way that draws them to intentionally follow Jesus. All Christians have been called to the task of bearing witness to the difference Christ has made in their lives, but some have been empowered in a special way to draw people to Christ. Those with this gift are especially drawn to non-believers or those whose faith has grown lukewarm.

This is a gift that can be suspect in many Catholic parishes where talking about faith has strangely become uncommon. Many disciples with a strong urge to speak of Christ can feel isolated by the culture of silence in a parish that has forgotten its central charge to “go and make disciples”. It is refreshing to be part of parish where evangelism is encouraged through programming like Alpha, which is a regularly occurring opportunity to invite others to faith in Jesus Christ. But we must do more. Every baptized person has to reflect on their own faith and seek opportunities to speak a word of God to others in a way that is inviting.

You may have this charism if you love talking about God and the Church and seek out opportunities to share your faith with the unchurched. This charism allows you to have remarkable results when you share the Good News. People become intrigued and desire to know more. They begin to find the person and love of Jesus compelling. Cathedral offers so many opportunities to support you in accompanying others to faith. If you don’t see what you need in the Weekly, call the office for help – we are anxious to grow disciples and encourage a spirit of evangelization at the Cathedral!

Vicki Compton is the Coordinator of Faith Formation and Mission at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conceptionin Springfield, Illinois

Jesus told his disciples to go out and spread the word of God. We are all disciples of God, and as such, we should be spreading the word of God as well. How would you suggest a normal, everyday person go about sharing our faith with others?

Pope Paul VI and the United States Catholic Bishops addressed this very question in some of their writings. They suggest a threefold process. First, of course, is that you should be “converted” to the gospel yourself; not just being a Christian in name, but in you your deeds as well. Second is to “witness” to the gospel and your faith by how you live your daily life. Love God and your neighbor as yourself. Strive to speak and act with compassion to others. Practice justice and generosity in how you spend your money and your time, being especially attentive to the outcast and those normally invisible to much of society. Put gospel values ahead of secular values of commercialism, over-consumption, and an idolatry of the body. Cultivate quiet time for prayer and simply “being” instead of always “doing.” (John’s gospel is emphatic about the need to “be,” “abide,” and “rest” in Jesus.) Cultivate a community around you that will support you and challenge you in living out this faith. Like Pope Francis, strive to live as a person of hope and joy in a world that is often rife with darkness and despair.

When Christians live like this in a kind of wordless witness, other people will notice, so the third step is to share by explicitly proclaiming your faith. When someone asks you why you seem so peaceful compared to how they feel, or how you manage to remain hopeful, or why it is you seem content living with less than those around you, be ready with your answer (1 Peter 3:15). You can say truthfully that you are trying to live out the gospel. You are trying your best to follow a counter-cultural Jesus.

You can elaborate more about your faith life if they seem interested, or invite them to come to church with you. If they aren’t interested at that time, know that their curiosity has been piqued and keep your eyes and ears open for further opportunities to share about your faith. Depending on your relationship with the person, you may feel comfortable mentioning the role that your faith plays in your life even if they don’t ask about it. Either way, you needn’t be strident or pushy about it because that often has the opposite effect of turning people off of Christianity. Think of sharing your faith and the Bible as an invitation to others, not wielding it as a weapon. Finally, pray that God will use you as a channel of grace to introduce other people to the faith that has proven to be so life-giving for you.

Ann Naffziger is a scripture instructor and spiritual director in the San Francisco Bay area. She has has written articles on spirituality and theology for various national magazines and edited several books on the Hebrew Scriptures.

I was exactly 8,491 miles away from home. It had taken me four flights, 16 hours of waiting in airports, 20 hours in the air, and several hours careening around dirt roads in a bus to reach the town of Hosur in India.

I was there as part of a month-long immersion trip and had just finished my first week in country. Given the effort to get here, you might think I am the adventurous type — prone to backpacking solo around Europe, cliff jumping into swimming holes, or taking off on a last-minute trip to Patagonia. The reality is that I am cautious by nature, a careful planner, and not a fan of heights, cliffs, roller coasters, or really anything that involves danger. And yet here I was traipsing through the dusty streets of an Indian village and wondering if I had been slightly possessed when deciding to come here.

The truth is that I had been fascinated with the idea of traveling to India ever since I was a little girl. I had come across pictures of India in the National Geographic magazines that I dragged home from the library and it seemed like a magical place — exotic, mysterious, colorful — a place of adventure. I’m sure my 10-year-old imagination romanticized it quite a bit. My actual experience of India was full of color and beauty, but it was also hot, smelly, noisy, crowded, and confusing. I felt overwhelmed by the differences in culture, and I struggled to communicate even the most basic of questions.

As our group wandered through the town, a local family stopped us and invited us to their home for refreshments. I ducked in through the doorway and was struck by how tidy the house was. Mats covered the carefully swept dirt floor and a few chairs were placed along the wall. There was a small alcove that served as the kitchen and a sheet hanging across a doorway that went into a bedroom.

I removed my sandals at the door and started to sit down on the floor, but the matriarch of the family clucked at me and shooed me toward one of the chairs. I tried to gesture that I was OK with sitting on the floor, but it was obvious that she would not take no for an answer. Her daughter handed me a cup of sweetened coffee, and I noticed that it was in a very beautiful china teacup. The rest of the tea set was nearby and it was obvious that it was one of their prized possessions as there was not a single chip or crack that I could see. I asked the guide to tell them that I thought it was very pretty. As she translated, the mother and daughter glowed with pride. The rest of their family sipped their coffee from tin cups while the guests were given the china teacups.

I felt slightly awkward as we had no gifts or anything that we could offer in exchange. We were dusty, dirty, and probably smelled to high heaven after being on a crowded, hot bus all morning. Our hosts were dressed in what looked like their very best clothes.

Conversation was slow and stilted. We had to use our guide to translate, so much time was simply spent nodding and smiling at each other. Our guide shared with us that the family was very happy we had come to visit them. They were not well liked within their community because they came from a lower caste, and initially they were not sure if we would accept their invitation. They told us they felt honored that we had come to their home and asked us if we would pray for them and keep them in our thoughts after we left. The mother bowed to us and offered a “Namaste” as we readied ourselves to leave. I found myself wishing that there was something of value that I could offer in return but all I had was a smile, a promise to pray for them, and an attempt to say thank you in Hindi.

I was so touched by the hospitality of this family and at the same time felt guilty and unworthy of their gratitude. All I had done was shown up at their home. There was next to no effort on my part whereas they had dressed in their finest, cleaned their home, offered us refreshment and in their treasured tea set, no less! I found myself wondering if I would have gone out of my way quite so much for a group of complete strangers. But then I realized that’s how it is with God’s love sometimes. I show up dirty, tired, with nothing to offer in exchange. I often don’t feel worthy of it and yet it’s still there being offered. Sometimes all I can give is a heart-felt thank you.

As I put my sandals back on and walked out into the sunshine, I felt a new openness to the experience of traveling in India. A simple afternoon tea had touched my heart and helped me to see not only the beauty of the country but also the beauty that was inside the people I was encountering.

Annie Devine is originally from Ohio and currently resides in Wilmington, Delaware, with her husband, baby daughter, and a rescue dog named Lucy. She has a B.A. in English and literature and an M.A. in pastoral ministry and has spent the last 10 years working and volunteering in young adult ministry. Annie likes to cook, read books, and take naps in hammocks.

Kichijiro is a supporting figure in Martin Scorsese’s 2016 drama/ history movie, Silence. In the movie, Kichijiro is a Japanese guide who serves and accompanies the French Jesuits, Frs. Rodriguez and Garupe. The Jesuits go to Japan on a mission to find their lost mentor, Fr. Ferreira, who has been rumored to have committed apostasy. Kichijiro is a cowardly drunkard who denies being Christian and betrays his visitors to the Japanese officials, only to return to Fr. Rodriguez, begging to have his confession heard. This cycle happens a number of times throughout the movie.

From Kichijiro’s character in the movie, we can surmise what some might call the “anatomy of sin.” Sin is mysterious and predictable, depending on how you look at it. We can come to understand what the early Church Fathers have described as a four- fold path: Suggestion, Conjunction, Acceptance, and Captivity. In Suggestion, a thought or image, desire or feeling is presented to the soul. (For the sake of clarity, I’ll just use the word “thought” to encompass all these sentiments.) Some of these thoughts draw the soul towards God, but not all. The next step, Conjunction, is the interchange that we have with that thought. We can entertain the thought with delight or repulsion. Up to this point, these thoughts can be temptations towards sin, but we have not yet committed it, either in thought or in action. Acceptance follows, wherein the thought is embraced by the will, and a plan for carrying out a corresponding action ensues. Up until this point, the person — you and I — have the will power to make course corrections on the thoughts which have been presented to us. But if we linger in this acceptance, we become enslaved — or held Captive, the fourth stage — to the thought and its expression, from which there is no escape of our own volition.

Some of you might be thinking to yourself, “Gee, this sounds like a summary of an addiction recovery course.” Well, in a certain sense, yes. This approach does fit in that arena. But it also applies to our spiritual lives, at least I know it does for me! This cycle helps me to understand why it is that when I go to confession, I usually have the same set of sins. I have often reflected at how my life can look like Kichijiro’s: the fears I can have about the loneliness of virtue, the anxieties about wanting to save my reputation among people with conflicting ideas, the need for unconditional acceptance without embracing the consequences of my actions, etc. When external events trigger these thoughts within me, there are predictable outcomes, none of which I am proud.

The wisdom of the Church gives us six weeks to reflect on how we have this tendency to prefer the fleeting pleasure or power of sin over the goodness and mercy of the Father. This is where sin is a mystery to us: why, when given the choice to pursue goodness and virtue, do we instead choose pleasure and vice? Are we even mindful or aware of the diversity of thoughts that we have throughout the day? Are we conscious at how our actions and speech are dictated by those interior thoughts? St. Isaac the Syrian gives us a hope-filled insight here: “the inflamed thoughts are uprooted and turned to flight by constant occupation of the mind with God. This is a sword that puts them to death… Whoever always thinks about God drives the demons away from himself and pulls up the seeds of their malice.”

While we cannot know the interior dimension of a fictitious movie character, we can examine our own interior with the wisdom of the Church during this season. Maybe we can practice being mindful of our thoughts during this time. Maybe we can learn to be more discerning of what we allow our thoughts to entertain. Maybe, during this Lenten season, we can learn to think more about God throughout the day and let His thoughts become our thoughts so our actions and words might better reflect His.

Brother John-Marmion Villa, BSC is an author for Liturgical Publications, Inc. and writes reflections on the Sunday readings.

The season of Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, February 26th, and ends prior to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, April 9th, when the Easter Triduum begins. Lent is the principal penitential season of the Church year. All the Christian faithful are urged to develop and maintain a voluntary program of self-denial (in addition to the Lenten regulations which follow), serious prayer (addition of daily Mass when and if possible, Scripture reading, Stations of the Cross, and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, etc.), and the performing of deeds of charity and mercy, including the giving of alms (increased attention to the needs of our brothers and sisters).

Lenten Regulations
Catholics who have celebrated their 14th birthday are bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, each Friday in Lent, and on Good Friday. Catholics who have celebrated their 18th birthday, in addition to abstaining from meat, should fast, i.e., eat only one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Small quantities of food may be taken at two other meals but no food should be consumed at any other time during those two days. Liquids do not break the fast and nourishment needed for special needs (such as illness or pregnancy) should always be taken. The obligation of fasting ceases with the celebration of one’s 59th birthday.

Lenten Prayer
Mass Schedule
The Weekday Mass schedule during Lent is as follows:
Monday through Friday – 7:00am, 12:05pm, and 5:15pm; Saturday – 8:00am

Sunday Mass times during Lent are as follows:
Saturdays – 4:00pm; Sundays – 7:00am, 10:00am, and 5:00pm

Reconciliation
The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered daily in the Cathedral church:
Monday through Friday – 4:15pm to 5:00pm
Saturdays – 9:00am to 10:00am and 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Sundays – 4:00pm to 4:45pm

Stations of the Cross
Take the time to walk the Stations of the Cross, the final steps Jesus took to Calvary, each Friday during Lent immediately following the 5:15pm Mass

Lenten Almsgiving Collections
In following our past practice of almsgiving during Lent, a second collection will be taken up each Sunday. Collections this year will be as follows: Ash Wednesday, February 26th – Church in Eastern Europe; March 1st – St. Martin de Porres Center; March 8th – Catholic Charities; March 15th – Helping Hands of Springfield; March 22nd – Catholic Relief Services; March 29th – The Pregnancy Care Center; April 5th – Cathedral Parish Student Assistance for Catholic Education

Easter Triduum Schedule
Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 6:30pm
The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday – 3:00pm
The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday Night – 8:00pm
Easter Sunday Masses – 7:00am and 10:00am

Stations of the Cross will also be held at 12:05pm on Good Friday, and the sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered after the 3:00pm Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday.

More Lenten resources can be found throughout this issue of the Weekly, as well as on the inserts provided. Please continue to watch the Cathedral Weekly and Cathedral website (www.spicathedral.org) throughout this Lenten season for additional resources.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the 40 days of preparation for the Easter season when Christians are called to deepen their spiritual lives through the practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. The belief is that our consistent participation in these practices — like exercise we do for our physical health — improves our spiritual well-being by stripping away all that is unnecessary and becoming more mindful of how God is working in our lives. Challenge yourself this year, and go beyond the usual practice of “giving up” something. Now is a great time to take stock of your spiritual life and to grow in it. Not sure where to start? Check out these 25 ideas:

1. Make a commitment to read the Sunday scriptures before you go to Mass. In the same way that reading up on football players, opposing teams, and coaching strategies will help you experience a game more fully, familiarizing yourself with the readings ahead of time will help you experience them in a deeper way on Sunday.
2. Use Busted Halo’s Lent Calendar, filled with Lenten-themed Daily Jolts and MicroChallenges to find new ways to practice the disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Each day of Lent, we’ll offer an inspirational quote paired with a practical, challenging task that you can do that day to help keep your spiritual life on point. You can also find these challenges on our website, or when you follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
3. Try a new spiritual practice. Sign up for an hour of Eucharistic Adoration. Attend Mass at a parish that’s made up of people from a different racial/ethnic group. Sign up for a silent retreat or spend at least one hour in silent meditation each weekend.
4. Think about what you usually spend your money on. Do you buy too many clothes? Spend too much on dinner out? Pick one type of expenditure that you’ll “fast” from during Lent, and then give the money you would usually spend to a local charity.
5. Take something on — 40 days of letter writing, 40 acts of kindness, 40 phone calls to the important people in your life.
6. When you first sit down in front of your computer at work, or at the very end of your workday, try a 10-minute guided prayer from Sacred Space based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius.
7. Go to a weekday Mass one day during the week. Many parishes offer them early in the morning, at noon, or after work. Daily Masses are often more intimate and shorter than Sunday Mass.
8. If you don’t have a cross in your apartment or house, buy a simple one and put it in your bedroom.
9. Use Busted Halo’s InstaLent Photo Challenge for daily, creative doses of Lenten spirituality. Post a photo each day and encounter the themes of Lent on a visual, personal level.
10. Instead of turning on a streaming service for your next bingewatching session, read the entire Gospel of Mark in one sitting. As the shortest Gospel, it is the most concise story of Jesus’ life, and the cross, a central Lenten symbol, plays an even more prominent role than in the other Gospels.
11. Attend the Stations of the Cross somewhere. Many parishes offer these during Lent and often on Fridays. Or check out Busted Halo’s Virtual Stations of the Cross.
12. Get some friends together and attend a Friday fish fry at a local parish. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but a fun Catholic tradition to help you abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent.
13. Unplug from your iPhone or turn off your car radio on your commute. The silence may be jarring at first, but you may find that you are able to concentrate better and will be more observant of your surroundings.
14. Buy a book of daily reflections and keep it by your bed. Local parishes often offer these for purchase during Lent, and there are some good ones available online. Try the Magnificat or a book by Edward Hays.
15. Think about a habit that has kept you from being whom God is calling you to be. Consciously give up that habit for Lent.
16. Spend at least one weekend or evening volunteering during Lent. Serve a meal at your local soup kitchen. Visit the elderly. Stock shelves at a food pantry.
17. Make a commitment to fast from insensitive, cruel comments about others. So, no gossiping or going down the Twitter rabbit hole.
18. Participate in a spiritual book club or small community of faith. Check out what’s already going on at your parish or pick a book and start your own.
19. As a part of your Lenten almsgiving, make a point to learn more about a particular social issue (immigration, human trafficking, racism, the environment, public education, child poverty). Give money to an organization related to your chosen issue that supports the dignity of the human person.
20. Tap into your creative side and try using coloring as a way to pray and meditate during Lent. Buy a coloring book or download a Lent calendar coloring page.
21. Use the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl to reflect on the realities of people in need around the world and devote prayers, fasting, and almsgiving to changing the lives of the poor. The money raised by CRS Rice Bowl supports not only the prevention of hunger and poverty in countries like Kenya, Vietnam, and Honduras, but also in the United States. (Twentyfive percent of all donations stay in the local diocese where they are collected.) For your Lenten Fridays, CRS Rice Bowl also features meatless recipes from cultures around the world.
22. Pray for somebody. As you’re walking the streets, driving the highways, or sitting in your cubicle at work, pick out a person who appears to be in need and pray for that person. Be mindful of the words of philosopher Philo of Alexandria, who said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”
23. Get to know your neighbors. Introduce yourself, plan a dinner, or bring food to an older person on your block.
24. Read the Works of Mercy as Jesus describes them in Matthew 25:31-46. Then put this teaching into practice and choose an act of service you can perform throughout Lent.
25. Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Can’t remember how? Tell the priest it’s been a while, and ask him to guide you through it.

Renée LaReau is a senior writer at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs. She lives with her family in South Bend, Indiana.