When I was a boy growing up in a Catholic family, Lent was a big deal. Ash Wednesday was the beginning of a special time of the year unlike any other. My grandmother, like her Sicilian mother before her, would make a feast for Fat Tuesday – clearing out kitchen cabinets and the refrigerator to make way for the forty days of sacrifice and penance that stretched out ahead of us.

All of us in the family had to make the “big decision” by that Tuesday … what were we going to “give up” for Lent?  No matter what we chose, candy or soft drinks or desserts, the point was always clear: we had to make a sacrifice during Lent and we had to stick to it until Easter! Add to that the required fasting and abstinence, and you know what? We survived. Lent did not kill any of us.

As with so many traditions in the Church, Lent evolved over the years. People began to emphasize more “giving” rather than “giving up.” The sober and serious tone of the forty days of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, became lighter and less intense. Sure, the Church continued to accent the penitential nature of Lent but it did so in different ways, stressing things that were more positive rather than negative. The obligation to sacrifice something ceased to be the first or most immediate item on the Lenten agenda.

I am a great believer in the “both/and” rather than the “either/or” approach to life. And, so, for me Lent is a holy season of penance when I feel called, as a Catholic, by the very nature and purpose of Lent, to both “give up” and to “give” something. In my own prayer and reflection as your pastor, I recognize my responsibility to guide the faithful of Divine Mercy Parish in living out our Christian life in pursuit of holiness. Lent is a time to intensify the pursuit of holiness as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s own, passion, death and resurrection, the central mysteries of our Catholic faith. And, so, together let us focus our attention on the call to holiness that is at the heart of our Lenten journey and at the heart of our life’s journey.

I am reminded of the scripture passage that says: “As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1: 15-16). The Church gives us the season of Lent as an aid in that process. Moreover, here is the motivation: the Church’s call to holiness is rooted in Christ’s own invitation to be holy in imitation of him. The holiness of the Church is not merely a reflection of but, rather, an identification with the very holiness of God. Can the Church be anything less than what God calls her to be in imitation of Him?

That is a strong motivation to give Lent, and the growth in holiness it offers, our best shot. Yes, “giving up” something and making sacrifices are an important part of the Lenten experience in the Church but if they do not lead us to deeper holiness, a closer, life-altering identification with Jesus Christ and His Gospel, they are empty gestures. It’s like going on a diet for a short while. We’ll lose some weight for sure but if we don’t make up our minds to change our eating behaviors or if we lose our motivation, the weight will only return.

Lent and its sacrifices should connect us on a deeper level with the Lord Jesus Christ, should lead us in a more profound way to a closer identification with Him who suffered and died on the cross for us. Giving up. Sacrifice. Every individual Catholic has to decide this Lent “what MORE can I do, can I give up for Him?” Lent should help us say, “With Christ, I am nailed to the cross. And the life I live is no longer my own.  It is the life of Christ who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians, 2: 19-20).

In addition, the other part of the Lenten “both/and” equation --- giving something --- needs to be addressed. As with sacrifice and penance, our Lenten “giving” must lead us to holiness in Jesus Christ.  He is the reason why we give.  It is His face we see in the face of others. “Whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me” (Matthew 25: 40).

I would like to offer a thought on something that can bring the “both/and” of Lent together for us and that is the gift of time – giving up my time so that I can give my time to others and grow in holiness.
As a boy, time seemed to hang heavy on my hands. I had a lot of it. I often wasted it. From what I hear from parents, that is not as true today. However, as I grew into adulthood, time seemed to move more quickly and became more valuable, more precious. Perhaps this Lent, whether we are young or old or somewhere in between, we can give some prayerful thought to “time” and how we can use it in our pursuit of holiness.

First, give time to God. Slow it all down and make time for God in prayer. Who could be more important than making time for the One who created us, who loves us, who cares for us every moment of the day, who promised to be “with us all days” (Matthew 28:20), who will call us home after this life is done? I mean, really. I can make time for just about anything else. Why can’t I find time for God? Why can’t I give up some time for Him?

Second, give time to others.  Everyone is busy. Everyone has things to do. But everything that we are in life, everything that we have in life bears the “fingerprints” of someone else – our parents; our children; our friends; our neighbors; our co-workers. Do we give them enough time? Could they use or do they really need just a little bit more time?

The scriptures tell us that there are two great commands: love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus Christ tells us that “the command I give you is this: love one another as I have loved you (John 15: 12).” Love takes time. Are we willing to give it up? Are we willing to give it? This Lent is the time to give an answer.

Whatever Lenten sacrifice you are led to embrace this year, I hope it is a sacrifice that leads you into deeper appreciation of the celebration of Holy Week and Easter, and God’s love for you.

May the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ abound in your life throughout this season of Lent.

In His service and for His love,

During Lent, we are asked to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord in prayer and reading Scripture, to service by giving alms, and to practice self-control through fasting. 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. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).

Lent is a favourable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ."-- Pope Francis

In Lent, the baptized are called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare to be baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a period of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to become Catholics.

The key to fruitful observance of these practices is to recognize their link to baptismal renewal. We are called not just to abstain from sin during Lent, but to true conversion of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which we were baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

Source:

https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/lent