What to Give Up For Lent

Each year, Catholics around the world perform penances and pray during Lent – the 40 days before Easter. But every year, Catholics commonly wonder what to give up for Lent.

What is Lent?

Lent is the period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in the 40 days leading up to Easter. It begins with Ash Wednesday and ends Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. 

40 is the number of penance in the Bible, and the Lenten season is in imitation of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert. 

Divine Law dictates that the faithful must practice penance each year, and Lent is the perfect time to do so. 

This year, Lent starts on March 5^th, and Easter is on April 20^th.

How to Discern Your Lenten Practices

First, we should enter into silent prayer with God, where we open our hearts to Him and receive His. We should ask Him what He wants us to do for Lent and then listen carefully to His Word. In being honest with Him – and ourselves – we can see where our greatest weaknesses are. These areas could be what we focus on for Lent, and God will guide us towards what He wants from us if we let Him.  

For example, we might consider giving up TV for Lent, or unnecessary screen time, or social media, focusing on growing internal peace and silence. 

Or we might give up a food we enjoy, such as meat or sweets, to practice self-denial and purity. 

We should be careful not to focus on only giving up sinful things – as we should not be sinning to begin with, giving up gluttony or gossiping does not fulfill the requirements of Divine Law. While Lent is certainly a grace-filled period and appropriate period to root out our vices, we should be sure to give up something that is not inherently sinful – such as a certain food, drink, or activity we enjoy. 

If we do struggle with a particular sin, we can walk with Christ during His Passion and take advantage of the immense graces and sacrifices to practice the opposing virtue to our vice. 

We also should focus on adding holy practices, such as reading Scripture, having fifteen minutes of silent prayer, praying the Rosary or the Stations of the Cross, going to Mass during the week, or going to Adoration or visiting Jesus in the Tabernacle during the week. 

We should consider how we can donate our time, talent, or treasure to others to help the poor and practice charity. 

If we are financially able to, we could discern whether to donate to worthy charities, the pro-life cause, or our parish. 

We could also consider donating our time to help others, such as volunteering at a shelter, volunteering at our local parish, visiting those in a nursing home, or going out of our way to help someone we know who is in need. 

Keeping in mind the three practices of Lent – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – we can discern how we can best practice these in our lives during this season. 

We can also consider joining a program like Exodus 90 or Magnify 90, which start before Ash Wednesday, but are wonderful ways to root out vice and practice heroic virtue.  

Exodus 90 is a program for men that starts 90 days before Easter, and encourages men to pray daily, read Scripture, make daily sacrifices and penances to be better able to say “yes” to God in greater things, and build community with other men. It is not supposed to simply end with Easter but rather encourage building a new life of virtue and freedom. 

Magnify 90 is a program for women that encourages asceticism, mental prayer, and humility, focusing on magnifying God in our lives. It is the counterpart to Exodus 90, as women should not aim to follow the Exodus program that was designed specifically for men. Instead, Magnify 90 reflects the complementary elements of manhood and womanhood, helping women to strive to become like Mary – magnifying the Lord, embracing femininity, and practicing virtue whilst reading Scripture. 

Traditionally, Catholics would start Lenten practices on Septuagesima Sunday (the 70^th day before Easter) and would fast and abstain from meat each day (except Sundays). This 70-day period calls to mind the 70 years of Babylonian captivity. Practicing Lent as it had been practiced for centuries is a wonderful way for Catholics to go deeper into the Lenten season and get in touch with their Catholic roots, worshiping and doing penance as Catholics for generations before have done so. 

We have so many ways we can glorify God and overcome our vices, with God’s grace, this Lenten season. Let us allow the Holy Ghost to speak within our hearts and inspire us towards whatever path He desires us to follow. 

May God bless and guide you all this season, and may He shower you with graces to perfect you in preparation for the eternal Easter of Heaven.