Some experiences from my childhood have shaped my spirit and understanding of Lent. Once the solemn busyness of Ash Wednesday Mass was over, our family’s daily life in Lent was anything but normal.
Our Lenten intentions of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving were posted on the refrigerator, and we strived to follow through, with Mom and Dad watching over us. Teachers and siblings monitored our efforts to avoid wrongdoing and do good and would report to Mom or Dad about our lapses. Daily and weekly, we saved our coins for the “Lenten Mission Boxes” from the Holy Childhood Association and stored the treats we’d given up to await Sunday snacking. Weekly confessions and Friday Stations of the Cross were part of our parochial school culture as well.
Formative experiences for catechumens
We can provide similar formative experiences for our catechumens and elect during Lent. Make sure the catechumens and elect have opportunities to participate in Lenten devotions like Stations of the Cross. Their sponsors and godparents should be encouraged to attend with them. We can also help our catechumens and elect to develop daily prayer routines at home.
The Lenten formation of my childhood helped me in my teen and young adult years to intensify my efforts to become a better person in ways that aligned with the gospel. When I became a wife and mom myself, my spiritual and sacramental attentiveness during Lent expanded still further
Some of the lessons I learned have matured and continue to guide my use of time, talent, and treasure during this season. Some of our family projects during Lent continue to focus on setting aside time for prayer in addition to meal prayers, daily or weekly Rosaries with meditation on the Sorrowful Mysteries, and more frequent attendance at Mass. Similarly, we can encourage our catechumens and elect to attend Mass more regularly, pray the Rosary, and focus on their prayer lives during Lent.
My family is learning the importance of making quiet time to read scripture or spiritual books and time for meditation and contemplation.
Putting it into practice
During our family prayer at home, we give thanks to God for blessings and challenges, voicing individual concerns, naming needs of the family, neighborhood, country, and our world. We try to name specific actions we can take to make a positive difference.
My family is learning the importance of making quiet time to read scripture or spiritual books and time for meditation and contemplation. Family morning and night prayers and even meal prayers get a little more focused than usual.
To help the catechumens and elect deepen their Lenten prayer and meditation, consider giving them weekly reflections and suggestions for prayer and spiritual reading to help them stay engaged throughout these weeks of purification and enlightenment.
Just as our families do during Lent, the catechumens and elect can practice giving alms, doing charitable works, taking time to talk about the needs of our local community, visiting the homebound, or writing notes to the sick and absent members of family and parish, All of these works of mercy heighten our awareness of our own need to reach out and serve. It’s the doing together that makes a difference.
Collecting funds for those in need is far easier than setting aside our favorite TV programs or gaming devices to do something for those in need — or even spending time face-to-face and side-by-side as family.
By being an example to the catechumens and elect and developing a sense of in-person family time for sharing activities, we can help them deepen their appreciation their own families and their own domestic church. There are so many ways in which we can focus our time during Lent — and after Lent — of becoming more fully the Family of God aware of and attentive to one another.
Thank you, Clare, for this article! I appreciated the reminder that throughout the catechumenate we should be “…help[ing ]our catechumens and elect to develop daily prayer routines at home… It’s the doing together that makes a difference.” From personal devotions like the rosary or divine mercy chaplet, to liturgical prayer like the hours, we should be exposing seekers to the “buffet of prayer practices” at their disposal because they are part of the household of God (RCIA 47).
I remember one experience I had with a catechumen by introducing this person to Pope Francis’ “Five Finger Prayer.” They were deeply moved by the simplicity and sincerity of it, which inspired them to take action. Specifically, they began volunteering at the parish soup kitchen.
Thank you, John Michael. There is such a richness in our faith — and you’ve mentioned some aspects — it is a joy to share. To learn that prayer moved some to action is an awesome grace! Keep up your blessed ministry!
Our folks too have learned the Five Finger Prayer, it is a joy to see them praying that with their family members. Sometimes our non-verbal greeting is to hold up our hands in prayer, then raise one finger to show who we might be praying for at the moment. Peace.