Here are 40 ideas to help you keep a holy Lent this year. You don’t have to do them all, but pick several:
- Invite 40 people to church. Invite Catholics and non-Catholics to: Mass, Confession, Penance services, parish missions, a retreat, a recollection, a Catholic conference or pilgrimage later in the year. 40 different people. Make a list and do it. 7 people each week.
- Pray Divine Mercy chaplet daily.
- Increase your weekly giving by $40 to your parish, ministry, or the poor.
- Give up alcohol, including Sundays.
- Eat Paleo (no grains, no sugar, no dairy, no alcohol) for Lent.
- Pick up the check for friends during the rest of Lent.
- Attend a recollection or mission once during Lent.
- Attend the Stations of the Cross once during Lent.
- Pray the Rosary daily.
- Attend daily Mass.
- Invite someone to your home for a meal every week in Lent.
- Write a kind letter to a priest you and know and thank him for his ministry.
- Write a kind text or email to a mother that you know who needs encouragement.
- Write a kind text or email to a parent or grandparent.
- Pray the Angelus daily at 11:55am.
- Say 3 Hail Mary’s every day for graces against sexual sins and temptations.
- Set up a domestic altar in your home with a crucifix, candle, and holy cards (and incense if you want to go all out).
- Stop at a church on the way home from work for 5 minutes every day. Make a visit to Jesus in the tabernacle.
- Read all 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) during Lent.
- Wake up at a set time in the morning during Lent (even on Saturdays and Sundays).
- Attend an earlier Sunday Mass as a Penance.
- Give up adding salt and pepper at all meals in Lent.
- Give up using butter on bread during Lent.
- Give up milk and sugar in coffee for Lent.
- Give up coffee for Lent.
- Give up smoking for Lent.
- Give up cussing for Lent.
- Give up one meal per day for Lent.
- Write a Thank You note every day (email and texts work great for this).
- Create a list of all the things going great in your life (and read it every day during Lent).
- Sign up for a pilgrimage.
- Purchase a beautiful image of Our Lady, have it blessed, and place it in a prominent place in your home.
- Thank God for priests by making a seminary donation. Here’s my seminary donation recommendation and why: click here.
- Plan an blow out Easter Party and send out invitations to family and friends for Easter Sunday after Mass.
- Say the Saint Michael prayer daily.
- Pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be for the Pope daily.
- Read one Papal Encyclical on a topic that interests you.
- Attend all or some of the Triduum liturgies (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday).
- Make a nightly examination of conscience and pray an act of contrition before bed each night.
- Go to confession weekly.
Question: What are you doing for Lent? Any more ideas? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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