Preparing My Heart for Lent

Placing God at the Center

Preparing for Lent is one of the hardest things to do as a practicing Catholic. When February rolls around, I start to ask myself the big question. What on earth am I going to give up for Lent? It’s a question that I dread each year. I often get caught up in preparing for Lent “the right way” – comparing what I plan on giving up with the rest of my friends. Will it be enough? Is it a good sacrifice? Should I be doing more? But, I realize that this question isn’t important. Each person has a different relationship with God. As such, there is no “right” way to do Lent. If God is in the center of our hearts, all is well.

Now is the time to pray and reflect on this question: What can I do to bring my heart closer to God?

Lent is a season of preparation. During this period, we go into the desert with Jesus, to fast and pray alongside him. We face our temptations headfirst and purify our souls to celebrate our faith. It is easy in a world that demands so much of our attention on different things to be distracted from building a relationship with Him. As Catholics, we give up things that distract us in order to build a closer and deeper relationship with God.

If I am being completely honest, fasting is extremely hard for me. I can be easily attached to things and fall into temptation with enough convincing. Lent is a season that tests our strength, mental fortitude, and relationship with God. Turn to Him in prayer. Ask Him to give you strength. Let Him come into your heart.

Fiat 40

This year, I will be participating in Fiat 40 with my bestie, Adri. Here are the things that I will commit to for the next 40 days:

• 1 hour of daily prayer
• One extra mass attendance
• Read the Gospel of the Day
• No desserts & sweets
• No snacking
• No alcohol
• No watching television, movies, or televised sports alone
• Only use your mobile device for essential communications, and delete unnecessary apps (i.e., social media)
• Only use your computer for work, school, and essential tasks
• No secular, negative, or vulgar music
• No unnecessary purchases
• Some kind of regular exercise (i.e., going on a walk or playing a sport)
• At least seven hours of sleep each night
• No meat on Wednesdays and Fridays

One of the special things about Fiat 40 is that you do not go through this challenge alone. Typically, you are accompanied by a group of 4-5 women with a designated leader. The “sorority” meets once a week for discussion, prayer, and/or recreation. Each girl is paired up with someone in the sorority as an “anchor.” My anchor for this challenge is Adri. In the next 40 days, I will be checking up with her regularly and sharing my personal experiences (ex. asking for prayers, discussing daily readings, and opening up about struggles). This is a unique opportunity to strengthen sisterhood. We are not meant to journey through life alone.

Discerning My Fast

When I was invited to join the Fiat 40 challenge, I went to chapel to have an honest conversation with God about it. This was unlike any Lenten fast I have done in my life. Giving up one thing is already hard enough. Fiat 40 takes it to the next level. Although it is daunting to strip myself of many comforts, I realized my worldly attachments do not help me grow any closer to God. If I truly desire to glorify God in my life, I should be able to give these things up, even if it scares me. After careful consideration and thoughtful prayer, I knew in my heart that God was calling me to take on Fiat 40.

I hope this sparks some inspiration on what you can do to prepare your heart for the next Lenten season. Whatever God leads you to give up for Lent, may it serve as a powerful decision to pursue more of God and less of self! Make sure to subscribe to my mailing list for more faith-based reflections! You can find more faith related posts here.

Emily

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