Improving Lent – Part 1

Back in 2005, I posted 40 Ways to Improve Your Lenten Experience from Karen Marie Knapp’s blog at From the Anchor Hold. She posted it on February 26, 2006 from the Catholic Herald. I’m dividing it into parts with some updates, tweaks, links, and suggestions.

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1. Learn about your patron saint.

2.  Start Praying the Divine Office with your spouse in the morning if you’re married. or in the car on the way to work if time is short. Mothers at home can do this with their children or around the children’s sleep schedule.
Divine Office App

Or Get the Divine Office App

or on your computer or laptop

3. Pray for — by name — people you don’t like and for people that don’t like you.

Prayer for enemies
Catholic prayer for enemies
Forgiveness bible verses. 

Catholic Digest

4. Read a Catholic magazine.
Catholic Periodical List
Catholic Answers
Magnificat
Crisis Magazine
Adoremus
Envoy

5.  Resolve to get to First Friday during the Easter season.

6. Ditto  First Saturday –

7. March 19, in honor of St. Joseph, patron saint of carpenters and fathers. Build or build upon a relationship with one of your children.

9. Buy two of everything on your grocery list, and give the duplicates to the local food pantry.
What do Food Pantries Need?
What Food Pantries Need the most

10. Start a “cuss bowl.” For every unkind word you utter, put in a dollar — two dollars during Holy Week. The Rice Bowl would be a good place for this too!

11. Bring a “Baltimore Catechism” to a gathering of Catholic friends, and start asking each other questions.

12. Organize your home, the Domestic Church!

13. Pray for those, e.g., children, parents, spouse, siblings, who have left the church.
Prayer for Lapsed Catholics

14. Talk to a neighbor you rarely or never talk to.  If you have one of those people in your life that loves to talk, but rarely listens – spend some time with them and offer it up!!