Lent marks the season before Easter and is a time for repentance and reflection through the practices of fasting, praying, and giving. We believe that through these practices, God shapes us more into the likeness of Christ. In the Apostle Paul’s words, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
During this Lenten season, we encourage you to practice fasting, praying, and giving in ways that both challenge and encourage you. As you consider what you will fast or abstain from, also think of what you might pursue in that place. Perhaps in giving up a certain food, you decide to take a daily prayer walk around your neighborhood, praying for each home and family you pass. You may choose to step away from social media and in its place read through a few books of the Bible. Whatever you choose, we encourage you to make the decision prayerfully and with the wise counsel and support of people around you.
Here at Apostles, we have some resources and class offerings to help you in this year’s Lenten journey. However, don’t feel limited by what we have here! If you would like to begin a small group or study of your own, let us know so that we can help you with resources and encouragement.
Understanding the beginning of lent: Ash Wednesday
I have come to Ash Wednesday services for many years, 30 years as an adult Anglican/Episcopalian, and 17 childhood years as a Catholic. As a child, some years, I would brush away my short bangs to make sure everyone could see the cross of ashes, and other years, I covered up my forehead in hopes that my classmates wouldn’t look at me like I was different than everyone else… [Read more of Dcn. Susan’s Ash Wednesday sermon]
Lent: Week 1
Intro to Lent by Father Taylor Ishii
“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent: by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word” Ash Wednesday Exhortation
To observe Lent is to come face to face with our limits. We remember that from dust we came and to dust we will one day return, a sobering reality check. We experience the struggle to keep our commitments before the Lord. We wrestle with life lived on our own power and the weight of the world around us. We can feel lost in life, unsure of where to turn. But in Lent, God is still making a way if we can slow down to listen.
And it is precisely here that the Church reminds us that Lent is for repentance, for turning back to God. Anglican priest Esau McCaulley says in his introduction to Lent, “the church presumes that life is long and zeal fades, not just for some of us but for all. So it has included within its life a season in which all of us can recapture our love for God and his kingdom and cast off those things that so easily entangle us.”
Lent is the gift that we didn’t know we needed; an invitation to a journey back to God when we’ve wandered. To journey in Lent requires honesty: self-examination about the state of our hearts and the repentance necessary to turn back to God. And the good news of Lent is that we don’t do it on our own, but that God wants to walk with us as we prune out the things that are keeping us from him.
As we begin this season of Lent, we remember that it’s not about doing more things for God, but letting God work through us and refocus our hearts on him and his love.
Spiritual practice: Prayerfully meditate on Psalm 139:23-24 as an act of self-examination and repentance. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
LENT: Family Resources Week 1
Is Lent for Kids by Ruth Seawell
Is Lent really for children? Absolutely—yes! Lent is a wonderful season for children, not just adults. And it’s about so much more than giving up chocolate or turning off screens (though those can be meaningful, too!). At its heart, Lent invites us to slow down together, make some room for God, and notice his love in the middle of our busy, everyday lives.
When we pause and make space for God, we begin to see his love for us—and how we can show that love to others. Lent also helps us remember the journey Jesus walked as he made his way toward the cross. Sometimes grownups hesitate to talk about the harder parts of Jesus’s story with children, but kids experience sadness, confusion, and big feelings too. Walking through the story with Jesus gives them a safe, meaningful way to discover that God is with them in all of life.
So how can we help children make room for God during Lent?
One of my favorite family resources is Make Room by Laura Alary. She describes the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as making time, making space, and making room—beautiful ideas children can truly understand. The book gently weaves Jesus’s story together with the eyes and experiences of a child, making it a lovely companion throughout the season.
I’ll be sharing simple ways your family can make time, space, and room for God at home as we move through Lent.
You can explore the book here:
https://lauraalary.ca/childrens-books-by-laura-alary/make-room-a-childs-guide-to-lent-and-easter/
As Lent begins, try simply noticing the changes around you as a family.
Mardi Gras just wrapped up—talk about the things you saw, tasted, and enjoyed together.
I wonder what part they loved most?
I wonder what felt especially meaningful?
I wonder what part felt like it was truly “theirs”?
Here’s a fun guide if you’d like to look deeper:
https://www.teachingcatholickids.com/celebrate-mardi-gras/
If your family took part in Shrove Tuesday or Ash Wednesday, you have even more to wonder about—pancakes, burying Alleluia banners, burning palms, or receiving ashes. These traditions are filled with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and colors that speak to children in powerful ways.
What stood out to them?
What felt most meaningful?
What part connects to their own story?
Here are a few helpful resources to explore together:
As we begin this Lenten season, I’m so grateful to walk alongside all our COTA families.
May this be a gentle, meaningful, and hope-filled journey for you and your children—one where you discover God’s love in new and beautiful ways.