Getting Ready for Easter During Lent
What should I do for Lent? What can I give up? Is there a perfect way to prepare for Easter through the Lenten season?
These are all good questions and the answers are individually personal. Some of us are good all year round and really don't need to do anything else or new to show our love of God.
Others think that giving up candy or sweets or even not smoking or drinking alcohol is the answer to these questions. Again, these are all good things to do during Lent to prepare ourselves to receive the King of Kings when we celebrate the day he rose from the dead.
There is no perfect answer how to make the way to the cross on Good Friday and the risen Lord on Easter Sunday.
Lent can be likened to the 5 ways married couples can be true to each other.
One way is through gifts and this can be likened to making a contribution of your energies to helping others. But, in the gospel we are reminded that giving is to be done without boasting of our gifts to others. If you give of yourself and your time without proclaiming your gift to the world, God knows and that is enough in itself.
The biggest gift we can give to our spouses is the gift of time and again this is a perfect way to prepare ourselves for the return of Christ on Easter morning. Take the time, to add an extra prayer to your daily prayer routine. If you say one rosary, try saying two.
If you attend mass irregularly through the year, make it a point to go to mass on a more regular schedule.
Take time to reflect on your life and how you relate with your fellow man. Just taking some down time away from the every day mad rush to reflect on how you are being called to help in this world of madness. Maybe you just need to pray for others or maybe you can help your parish with their needs. This doesn't have to be financial help. Just volunteering to help at services or sing in the choir could be a way to share the gifts that God has given to you.
One thing to remember though is if you don't succeed at your Lenten goal and if you slip, you don't need to beat yourself up over it. Like the song says, "just pick yourself up and start all over again." No one is perfect and God made us that way. It is the whole reason behind sending his son down to atone for our failures. Christ gave it all for us and we just need to be mindful of that.
