Checklist for Preparing your Family for Lent:
- Figure out what you're "giving up". (Even though "giving something up" for lent is traditional, you can also do more of stuff too, such as saying extra prayers, going to adoration, or attending daily mass sometimes.)
- Lenten countdown calendar of some kind (There are infinite ways to count down the 40 days of lent. You could print my calendar, make a paper chain, count almsgiving pennies, use a crown of thorns- seriously endless possibilities!)
- Ash Wednesday plans (Ash Wednesday actually isn't a holy day of obligation, but it's certainly an awesome day to go to mass anyway.)
- Almsgiving (You could make an offering box for lent with your kids)
- Go to Confession (Always a good idea during lent)
- Go shopping for meatless-meal groceries and simple foods (Obviously don't eat meat on Fridays during lent or on Ash Wednesday).
- Stations of the cross activities (You can find some here, and/or you could attend a stations of the cross service at your church.)
- Pray the Rosary (Especially the sorrowful mysteries during lent)
For anyone who's curious, abstinence (meaning abstaining from meat) is for those of ages 14 and older, and fasting is for people ages 18-59. You can read more about that here.
You can also print a really cool Lenten Guide Poster from Our Sunday Visitor.
You can sign up here.
When watching these videos with my kids, I totally learn about my
faith, too! This will be our second year to follow along. I just got my
first email from them today, and it turns out they have added extra stuff this year! :-)
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So I was looking at the calendar today, and on Friday March 25th, there isn't the little fish and note that it's a day of abstinance. It is the Annunciation, so does the feast (is that the right word?) trump? I'd imagine it'd be a good penance to abstain anyway, but it perplexed me!
ReplyDeleteThe Feast of the Annunciation is a Solemnity in the Catholic Church, a principal holyday in the liturgical year. Because it is a solemnity it takes precedence over the Lenten weekday, which in this case is a Friday and the rule of abstinence does not apply.
ReplyDeleteThis feast is so important that if it were to fall on a Sunday it would be transferred to the 26th and if it were to fall on Palm Sunday, during Holy Week or the Octave of Easter, it would be transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter and celebrated then.
The Feast of St. Joseph is also a solemnity and takes precedence over the Lenten weekday. It, too, could be transferred if necessary.
I hope that helps.
I think you might have been counting the days wrong because there are little fish on all the Fridays.
ReplyDeleteI made the same realization this year - copying my to do list for Advent/Christmas and making it fit Lent/Easter - there are many similar preparations for Lent/Advent and then Christmas/Easter! Thanks for your list - there were some I had missed on mine!
ReplyDeleteI heard you are supposed to pray the sorrowful mysteries all of lent. Is that true?
ReplyDeleteOn the Sundays in Lent, then you go back to the Glorious after East, until the beginning of Advent when the Joyful are said on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI love the Sunday Visitor short and sweet guide. I sent it to my college kids. It's a good refresher. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love how these links are consolidated nicely on your blog! You do a great job making it easy for the rest of us. ;)
ReplyDeleteLacy thank you for sharing these companies I am drooling over all the items I want for me and my kids. I love finding new catholic products I appreciate you exposing us to them!
ReplyDelete