Planning for Enrichment in Our Spiritual Lives this Lent

Planning for Enrichment in 

Our Spiritual Lives this Lent

Lent is a season of grace, a time when the Lord gently calls us to draw closer to Him. It is not just about giving something up but about making space for God — allowing Him to renew our hearts, to fill us with hope, and to transform our daily lives. This year, as we embark on our Lenten journey, we do so in the spirit of the 2025 Jubilee Year, as Pilgrims of Hope. A pilgrim sets out not only to travel but to encounter something — or rather, Someone — along the way. Pilgrimage is a perfect image for Lent: we leave behind distractions and journey toward a deeper encounter with God's love. Like any journey, our experience of Lent is usually more fruitful if we plan ahead for what we intend to do, personally as well as in our faith community.

 

Lent is not about choosing between fasting, prayer, or good works; the Gospel of Ash Wednesday (March 5 this year) teaches us that all three belong together. We fast (make willing sacrifices), not simply to deny ourselves, but to make more room for God in our lives. We grow in prayer because a relationship with Christ is the foundation of the fulfilling life we are seeking! And we give alms (acts of love and service) because faith is meant to bear fruit in charity.

 

As pilgrims, we do not walk alone. Our collaborative parishes offer opportunities to deepen our faith together. These are moments of encounter — times to listen to God and one another, to pray more than we might do otherwise, and to let Christ speak to our hearts. This year, let’s invite each other to join us in our Lenten experiences, encouraging each other to take up the invitation to be spiritually enriched.

 

Beyond our personal practices and our usual collaborative Lenten offerings (an overview will be published next week), allow me to highlight several special opportunities this year. On Saturday, March 8, the Men's Day of Reflection offers our brothers in Christ a time to step away from daily demands and listen for the voice of God. For the women of our collaborative parishes, a Women’s Pilgrimage to Our Lady of La Salette on Thursday, March 27, is a chance to reflect on Mary's message of mercy and renewal.

 

In the second week of Lent, on Wednesday, March 19, we will have a unique opportunity to reflect on the beauty of Sacred Icons. Very Reverend Abraham Miller, a Ukrainian Catholic priest, will guide us through the spirituality of these holy images. Father Abe will help us see that icons are more than art; they are windows into the divine. Their stillness invites us to enter into prayer, to gaze upon Christ, Mary, and the saints, and to let them lead us closer to God.

 

The third week of Lent will be the heart of our collaborative parishes’ journey: our Lenten Mission-Retreat on the Jubilee year theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.” This mission will help us rediscover and live Christian hope — not as wishful thinking, but as a firm trust in the promises of God. This will include a reflection on forming habits of prayer to help us bring our faith from primarily a Sunday experience to being more woven into every part of our lives. Watch our website for more details to come…

 

So let us take prepare to take this journey together, not as passive observers but as true pilgrims, seeking the Lord with open hearts in the reality of our daily lives. As our catechumens and candidates for adult initiation prepare to receive their sacraments at the Easter Vigil, may this Lent lead all of us to experience Easter renewed in hope and firm in faith.