Articles

Ash Wednesday is next week, and our Lenten season will begin. As we prepare for the season of Lent, I wanted to take a moment to encourage you in your role as the primary educators of your child(ren). While we have many prayer opportunities for your children during the day at St. Dominic Catholic School, your guidance in helping your family observe Lent at home is invaluable.

Lent is a time for deepening our relationship with Jesus through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These practices help us to turn away from distractions and focus on what truly matters.

Personally, I have been reflecting on the simplicity of my relationship with Jesus. I’ve taken time to step away from deep study or reading to focus more on the stillness of prayer, to hear His voice more clearly. Whether your family typically encounters Jesus through song, prayer, Scripture, silence, or a combination of many experiences, I encourage you to create a clear plan for how you will observe Lent together this year.

It’s important to remember that our children are still young. For a 5-year-old, this is only their 5th Lenten season. For an 8th grader, their 13th. Teaching about and modeling the Lenten practices of praying, fasting, and almsgiving may seem obvious to you; but for our children, the repetition of the season is important. As parents and educators, our job to teach them why this time is important, and to help them experience it in a way that they can relate to- building a foundation for life.

Below are some simple, family-friendly ideas for each Lenten practice that you can incorporate into your family’s Lenten journey.

Prayer:

• Daily Family Prayer Time: Set aside 5-10 minutes each day to pray together as a family. You can use a Lenten prayer resource or simply pray memorized prayers like the Our Father and Hail Mary together.
• Lenten Prayer Chain: Create a prayer chain, where each member of the family adds a prayer request for the day. Pray for these intentions during your daily prayers.
• Stations of the Cross: Walk through the Stations of the Cross together, either at home or at church, reflecting on Jesus’ journey.
• Lenten Rosary: Incorporate a Lenten rosary with special intentions for the season.
• Gratitude Prayer Jar: Each family member can write something they’re grateful for each day and place it in a jar. Read them together at the end of the week and thank Jesus for the blessings.

Fasting:

• Fast from Distractions: Encourage your family to fast from distractions such as extra screen time or TV/video games to spend more time focusing on family time and prayer.
• Simple Meals: Have simple, meatless meals on Fridays or choose one day a week for a family "fast day" where everyone eats only simple foods (a simple breakfast, for example).
• Fast from Complaints: Challenge your family to “fast” from complaining or arguing for a day. This encourages gratitude and peacefulness.
• Give up Something Extra: Each family member can choose something extra (a toy, a privilege, a habit) to “give up” for Lent and offer that sacrifice as a way of focusing on Jesus’ sacrifice.
• One Small Act of Sacrifice: Each week, have your child(ren) make a small sacrifice, like giving up their favorite snack or taking on a chore they wouldn't normally do.

Almsgiving:

• Donate to a Food Pantry: As a family, gather non-perishable food items to donate to a local food pantry or shelter. Make this a regular activity throughout Lent.
• Lenten Coin Collection: Set up a coin jar for your family’s almsgiving. As you collect change throughout the season, you can donate it to a charity at the end of Lent. St. Dominic Catholic School is collecting for St. Adalbert, our Lenten outreach.
• Prayer and Service for Others: Take time as a family to pray for those who are less fortunate. Plan a simple service project, like helping an elderly neighbor with chores or writing cards to people in need.
• Lenten Acts of Kindness: Challenge your family to perform acts of kindness each week during Lent, whether it’s helping someone in need or giving a compliment.
• Adopt a Missionary or Charity: Choose a charity or missionary to support throughout the season. As a family, talk about why this organization or cause is important and how you can contribute.I pray that this season of Lent becomes a time of deep encounter with Jesus for your family. May your hearts and homes be filled with His love as you journey together.