Lent; about a month to go!`

Hard to believe but Lent will be winding down in about a month. In fact one month from today will be Good Friday. How has your Lent been so far?

We all remember that Lent is about prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lent is about reflection and preparation. Recalling our Catholic childhood we remember how during Lent we always gave something up. So what has Lent been like so far?

One of the things I find very helpful in prayer and reflection has been to follow with greater detail the daily readings from the Office of Readings. The first readings from Exodus, following the story of the Isrealites and Moses is always a great way to reflect on us, a people of faith, on our journey, our exodus to the "promised land". The second readings have been powerful sermons from Church fathers on the power of prayer and reflection. If you can, get a breviary or check on line and follow these powerful Lenten reflections everyday.

Maybe you are in a position to attend Mass during the week. I used to always make daily Mass, especially during Lent, until a job change made this problematic. But even if we can make one extra Mass a week, how powerful would that be? And we all should make a greater effort in Lent to make a good confession and participate fully in this sacrifice of reconciliation and healing.

And we all have time to devote to prayer and penance, fasting and almsgiving. Helping out those in need or responding to the tragedies like Haiti or Chile are all good things to do.

Whatever we do, we must always do with the proper inner disposition. We must from our hearts give something up or do something extra. We must join these actions to those of Christ who showed us all the ultimate sacrifice.

So whether at work, at school, around the community or at home with family, we can still be an example in prayer, word and deed of the spirit of this important season of Lent.