How can we grow closer to God during Lent?
Catechism Meditation:
Jesus’ temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him. This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning.” By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert. ―No. 540
REFLECTION. According to the UCCB.org: What is Lent?, “Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It’s a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.”
Lent is a time for self-examination and contemplation. To facilitate this, Catholics often set aside certain foods or non-essential activities. Fasting is not meant to be deprivation or a means of earning grace. Rather, fasting is meant to provide spiritual focus. By setting aside something that is normally a part of our daily life, we are creating space for God. During the 40 days Jesus was in the desert to fast and pray, he was tempted by the devil. The devil first tempted Jesus through His hunger—not only physical hunger but also His spiritual hunger. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread” (Mt 4:3). But Jesus responded that true life comes not from bread alone but from the Word of God. It is God’s Word that truly feeds us. As we voluntarily deny ourselves, we are reminded of Jesus as the source of our true sustenance.
Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Abstaining from certain practices can help us loosen the grip that unhealthy appetites and destructive addictions have on our lives. We may consider fasting from gossiping, speaking negatively about others, shopping on Amazon, excessive spending on material possessions, watching our favorite TV show, binge-watching Netflix, listening to the radio /podcasts, or mindless scrolling on social media. To abstain from these things helps us resist subtle idolatry and to refocus our lives on God. It invites us to ask: What distracts us from God’s love? What pulls us away, and what draws us closer to Him?
Lent is an invitation to step out of our comfort zone and embrace the discomfort that comes with spiritual growth. By denying ourselves, we draw closer to Christ, who willingly embraced suffering for our sake. Let this season of Lent be an opportunity for transformation. Use the extra time to dive deeper into Scripture, attend daily Mass or an extra Mass during the week, set a goal for participating in Stations of the Cross, commit to praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament during Eucharistic Adoration, or spend more time in quiet prayer. In doing so, you’ll find that Lent can be a time of profound spiritual renewal, and a chance to step away from distractions and draw nearer to God.
PRAYER. Heavenly Father, I thank You for the gift of this Lenten season. As I reflect on my life, I ask for Your guidance to help me grow closer to You.
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“We can think of Lent as a time to eradicate evil or cultivate virtue, a time to pull up weeds or to plant good seeds. Which is better is clear, for the Christian ideal is always positive rather than negative.” ― Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen