This year Lent started on February 18 and runs through Thursday, April 2, 2026 when the Paschal Triduum begins. Lent is a time for Christians to engage in spiritual preparation, prayer, fasting and repentance leading up to Easter, focusing on Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection by commemorating His 40 days of trial in the wilderness. It starts on Ash Wednesday. Consider entering Lent with grace instead of guilt.
Lent: An Invitation to Return, Not Perform
Entering Lent can often bring feelings of pressure, confusion, guilt or spiritual fatigue. There seems to be a competition of “What did you give up for Lent?” There is often comparison around who is attending the most Lenten activities because they are doing things spiritually better. Don’t think of Lent as a time of spiritual perfection. Instead, know that Lent is a season of invitation. God is inviting us to a season of more. God desires our hearts, not our performance.
We are reminded of this in Joel 2:12–13, “Yet even now—oracle of the LORD—return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God, For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment.” (usccb.org) God wants a relationship with you. He knows you are not perfect. Not one of us is and that is just fine because we are each perfectly His. Accept His invitation.
Lent is Not an Obligation
Many people view lend as an obligation. Stop. The purpose of Lent is for repentance, renewal and realignment with God. We are never obligated to those things, but we are invited. Lent is also often viewed as a time for punishment or a time for earning holiness. Lent is really about a relationship with God over rules. It is true that we do have rules to follow. They are there to guide us; to help us develop that deeper relationship. We are called “to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully.”
Change the way you perceive Lent. Move from an obligation to perform and obey rules to accepting an invitation to grow in a deeper relationship with God through practices and a conversion of heart. Allow Lent to work within you, to change your heart. Accept the invitation.
Reflection:
What has Lent meant to me in the past and what might God be inviting me into this year?
Entering Lent With Grace, Not Guilt
Just like Romans 8:1 tells us, “Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (usccb.org), The invitation of Lent is not about unhealthy guilt. It is about love and a healthy conviction. When we enter this season with grace, we create an openness to good, faith and God while guilt creates resistance and excuses to grow further away from Him.
Remind yourself that God’s mercy is the foundation of your Lenten journey. Give yourself grace to fail. God does not expect perfection. He is well aware of our humanity. The important thing is to not give up. Start over right from where you are. It is your intention that will help carry you through to action.
Preparing the Heart Before Choosing the Practice
Before you decide what to “give up” or “take on” when entering Lent, I invite you to pause. Sit in prayer and have a conversation with God. Reflect on where you are in life spiritually and where you want and need to be. Prayerfully ask yourself these heart-centered questions:
- Where do I feel distant from God?
- What is cluttering my spirit?
- What needs healing, surrender or attention?
- Where do I feel God calling me to?
When you prayerfully consider these questions, listen for what God may be telling you. Don;t choose the easiest thing, but know the hardest thing may not be right for you either. The purpose of lent is to bring you to a true inner conversion of heart as you seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. It is the conversion that you should be striving for, not ending or starting a new habit. It is in this change that you can grow closer to God.
Choosing Intentional Lenten Practices
Lenten practices include fasting, prayer and almsgiving. As kids, we always gave up our favorite candy. It was fun to talk about what we would give up, like it was only a game. We lacked the understanding (and teaching) regarding the true meaning of Lent and giving something up. Let’s take a look at the three areas of focus for Lent: Fasting, Prayer and almsgiving.
Fasting: creating space, not deprivation
Traditionally, the fasting I have been taught was giving up something I loved and abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent. I invite you to take a closer look at fasting and what it can represent. You can give up negative thinking, speaking poorly of others and being the first to leave an event when you can stay and offer to help clean up. You can fast from things like TV and games, excessive cell phone use and more. Even better, fast from things that waste time and fill that time with serving others, praying or reading the bible.
Prayer: deepening connection, not checking a box
You should be adding prayer to your Lenten practices. Choose something that will be easy for you to continue once Lent is over. Say a Rosary (or decade) a day. Start and end your day in prayerful gratitude, thanking God for everything He has already given. These can be easy, short prayers or you can consider designated time just for prayer. At a loss? Pray with Scripture. Allow God’s words to speak to you.
Almsgiving: love in action, not obligation
Almsgiving simply “means donating money or goods to the poor and performing other acts of charity.” (usccb.org) Remember that these should be things done from the heart and not obligation. God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) Consider what other acts of kindness you can do. Become a laborer for Christ.
When choosing practices, choose something that meets you where you are spiritually. Choose alignment. Push for growth, but ensure it is something practical for you to build upon your relationship with God.
Lent as a Season of Realignment
Enter Lent as an opportunity of alignment and discipleship. Use it as a spiritual reset for your heart, your habits and your purpose. Allow God to help you gently realign priorities, identity and purpose. Remember Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (usccb.org) Now is the time to realign to God and all he has in store for you!
Encouragement for the Journey
Give yourself permission to start small. You can always keep building on new habits. Remember that God honors sincerity, not scale. It is not a competition. It is a time for growth and realignment, to become closer to God. Remember that His grace sustains us when discipline feels hard. Embrace it.
Reflection:
What would it look like to walk through Lent with God instead of striving for God?
Dear Lord,
Open our hearts and minds to you. We welcome you to stir the Holy Spirit within us, especially during this lenten season. Guide us, comfort us and give us the strength to align our lives with you. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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