Over the course of Summons, I’ve written about Lent quite a bit. Looking back, some of those reflections still hold up. Others make me cringe.
At the risk of making my future self cringe—here we go again.
Lent is different, so make it different. Don’t let the season pass unnoticed. The Church gives us Lent for a reason.
You can research the theological reasons behind it, but I wonder if, each year, part of the challenge is personal: Why do I need this Lent? What is God asking of me this time?
For me, I’ve picked up some bad habits. I need to drop them. And for the past few weeks, I’ve found myself thinking, Ash Wednesday can’t come soon enough.
Yes, I could have started breaking those habits weeks ago. But there’s something about moving through this season together—walking the Lenten road as a Church, even though each of us carries our own unique share of the journey.
And Lent isn’t just about what you give up. It’s also about what you add. Sometimes, adding something requires its own sacrifice—waking up earlier for daily Mass, setting aside time for prayer instead of scrolling your phone, reading a spiritual book instead of turning on Netflix.
So, what will Lent mean for you this year?