As I write these words, Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season of Lent, is less than three weeks away. Each Lent we are reminded that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence as Catholics.  

Bishop John N. Tran

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onward. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. 

During Lent we are encouraged to practice the traditional disciplines of Lent—prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  

Prayer: Give yourself more intentional time for prayer, especially in the morning and in the evening. The evening is a good time for the Examen as taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola, a prayer practice that invites you to give thanks to God for all that you have and review your day, asking the Holy Spirit to show you where you pleased God and where you may have missed the mark. You then conclude by asking for the grace to do better the next day. Whatever way you pray, the important thing is to enter into a deeper relationship with the Lord.  

Fasting: Again, it’s not always about giving up sweets. Fasting invites us into a spirit of self-denial and sacrifice to bind ourselves closer to Jesus. Perhaps we need to fast from unkind words or habits or give up something that is an obstacle to our holiness. The idea is that fasting gives us time to turn our attention to our creator, to fast from food in order to have a greater hunger for God.  

Almsgiving: Charity is at the heart of Lent because Jesus gave himself completely for our salvation. During Lent, how can we give of ourselves for the good of others? Not only monetarily but also through the gifts of time and talent. I often think of the elderly and the lonely, those who need someone to spend time with them and let them know they are loved. This Lent, perhaps we can think about how to best share our gifts with those who need them most.  

In striving to “practice” those disciplines of Lent, may we not forget that Lent also invites us to slow down and be still. In a world of non-stop news and incessant noise, the church gives us this gift, this sacred time to stop and listen for the whisper of God. These 40 penitential days allow us to stop, even amid this busy world, and to remember what is of prime importance: Our relationship with Jesus Christ.  

As I always say, it doesn’t matter whether you eat sweets or drink soft drinks or not; what matters is whether you attend to the matter at hand: Are you living out your baptismal promises? Are you becoming the person God created you to be, needs you to be for him?