Don’t Waste Your Lent: 7 Ways to Have a Good Lent

Lent is a season of penance and ascetical warfare. The enemy is concupiscence, the world, and the devil. The goal is pure hearts so that we can joyfully celebrate the resurrection of our Lord at Easter, the greatest feast of the liturgical year. In a way, Lent should be a microcosm of our entire struggle on earth, just as the Paschal feast of Easter is a microcosm of our heavenly triumph in Christ. Yet, a good Lent takes focus and discipline, and it can easily be wasted.
In my own experience, I often begin the lenten season with the best of intentions. I imagine myself going into full monk mode, fasting and praying as ardently as one of the monastic fathers in the desert. And maybe for the first week I succeed through sheer strength of will. Then, just when I am feeling good about myself, everything falls apart and I come face to face with my own weakness.
We’ve all been there at some point, and so today I’d like to share 7 practical ways to have a good Lent.
1. Have a plan – The fastest way to ruin Lent is to have good intentions but no plan. Be specific. “I’m going to pray more,” isn’t good enough. Download this helpful worksheet to get started. Once you’ve determined what you are going to do, stick to it every single day.
One word of advice: Make it doable. Often, we are overly ambitious and commit to way too much. When we fail in our lenten goals, we grow discouraged and give up completely. This is a victory for the devil. Make your commitments modest and practical, and your Lent will be the better for it.
2. Read a good book – The saints are constantly exhorting us to read good spiritual books, and there is no better time to begin this practice than during Lent. Reading Scripture or