Spring Clean Your Body and Soul through Lent

When Keeping New Year's Resolutions is Hard, Turn to God during Lent

Feb 15, 2009
Alex Sharp

Pray and Confess During Lent - peyman (Creative Commons - Flickr)

Think of New Year's resolutions as the opening act for a year of renewal. Resolutions are promises of what will be done; Lent is a time to resolve what will not be done.

In January, it is so easy to make promises of how one will make life changes, perhaps for health, relationship, or financial reasons, but by February, those resolutions might be getting harder to keep as motivation gives way to temptation. Enter Lent, the season of self-denial, and get renewed strength and renewed peace of mind.

Understanding Lent

While Lent is a time of self-denial and giving up indulgences, there is a reason for the sacrifice: spiritual growth. Lent is a chance for Christians to replace their daily "here-and-now" moments with moments of prayer and reflection. Lent observed for 40 days before Easter, and through self-discipline, Christians are able to train themselves not to focus on their bodies, but to focus on their spiritual relationship with God through Bible study and devotion.

When a person commits to fasting or abstaining from specific pleasures, the time that would have normally been spent eating should be spent in prayer. People can use Lent to build their strength by giving up a temptation for forty days and replacing that weakness with strength. When a person craves the food they have given up for lent, they see that craving as a reminder for prayer.

Catholics, Episcopalians, and Greek Orthodox Face 40 Days of Self-Denial

Although people associate Catholosisim with Lent, other Christian denominations also observe Lent through self-denial and self-discipline. Catholics have the prominent symbol of entering Lent by having their foreheads marked with the symbol-heavy ashes on Ash Wednesday, so everyone knows when their Catholic friends are getting ready to trade worldly gifts for spiritual gifts.

Episcopalians have a similar lent as Catholics; their fasts begin on Ash Wednesday, and they do not eat meat on Fridays. It is also common to give up a personal luxury, such as eating sugar, and using that time to read Christian books, focus on theological virtues, and honor saints, such as St. Thomas More.

Eastern Orthodox Fasting

Greek Orthodox and other Eastern Orthodox religions also participate in Lent; their traditions are older, since the Roman Catholic church is shares Orthodox traditions. Orthodox self-denial tends to be more strict than those sacrifices of the Catholic faith.

Instead of giving up meat for one day, the Orthodox faithful do not eat any animal products during lent, including milk and eggs. There are even more opportunities for self-denial and spiritual growth during the first week of Great Lent. Lent is a chance to embrace the Do Hard Things philosophy of Alex and Brett Harris: focus on God and grow spiritually.

2011 Lent Calendar

The Catholic Lent dates for 2011

Lent begins on Wednesday, Mar 9, 2011 (Clean Monday is March 7, 2011)
Lent ends Sunday, April 24, 2011

The Orthodox Pascha dates for 2011:

Great Lent begins on Monday, March 7, 2011
Lent ends with the Holy Pascha on Easter Sunday on Sunday, April 24, 2011

Staying Strong and Motivated During Lent

It is important to keep the focus of Lent on one's relationship with God. In his excellent essay, "History of Lent", Father William Saunders repeats some of the wise advice he has learned, "'If you gave something up for the Lord, tough it out. Don’t act like a Pharisee looking for a loophole." Moreover, an emphasis must be placed on performing spiritual works." Father Saunder's biography and writing is available through the Arlington Catholic Herald and Catholic Education.

When fasting is done after 40 days, the celebration of Jesus' resurrection is marked with music, prayer, and a feast that is especially meaningful for the people who have not had any of the forbidden foods for 40 days. For people who do not attend church regularly, attending services (including online church services) and following Christian principles and growing through lent is a good way to do some spiritual house keeping.

Related Reading: