Throughout Lent, Catholics strive to deepen their union with God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These three practices are recommended as a means to more closely unite believers to Jesus Christ as they commemorate the forty days He spent in the desert before beginning His public ministry.
A helpful practice in praying is using the “A.C.T.S.” formula, which includes prayers of adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication. This type of prayer is more informal and personal, which may be helpful for those that may struggle with prayer. Fasting acts as a means of purifying oneself of those things that one may have a strong attachment to, such as one’s favorite foods or recreational activities. The key to fasting is to be practical! And if you really get a craving for the item you’ve given up, remember that Sundays in Lent do not count as days of fasting! Almsgiving is the voluntary gift of one’s money to help those that are need. The most common form of almsgiving is making a donation to a charitable organization. But one will get more out of this practice by actually interacting with those that are associated with the charity that one is donating to.
Mr. Derrick A. Flannigan is a high school theology teacher and core-team member for "Spirit & Truth" in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Follow Derrick's blog "Benedictus Deus" at http://www.benedictus-deus.
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