Ways to Cleanse Your Spiritual Soul
Lent will begin this and 40 days gives us time to prepare for the coming of our Lord. Perhaps you are still thinking of ways to cleanse your spiritual soul. Here are some ideas from the staff at Americamagazine.org. They actually have 101 ideas for Lent. Here are 14 good ones. Click for the full article.
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/02/12/what-should-give-lent-247290
💙Visit a church every day- I will admit that this sacrifice started one Lent as “go to Mass every day,” which failed after 48 hours, and soon morphed into “stop into a church and pray every day.” Bonus? Spending a few minutes in a quiet church is great for your mental health.
💙Pray for someone who annoys you- Maybe it’s one person, maybe it’s 40. Either way, praying for people who get under your skin will be just as beneficial to you as it is to them.
💙The Blame Game- When things go wrong, it’s always easy to find someone (or something) else to blame. When you make a mistake this Lent (and we all will), own it and apologize. It’s so much better than pointing fingers or clinging to pride.
💙Pray for your parish priest- Maybe his homilies are too long. Or he says the Our Father too slowly. But your priest is probably overburdened and might be lonely. So dedicate a prayer to him each Sunday this Lent as we approach the busiest time of the liturgical calendar.
💙Go to confession- And maybe go more than once. Catholics are only obligated to go to confession once per year, but it never hurts to go more often. I always feel heavy going in and much lighter coming out
💙Read more of “The Greats”- So many spiritual insights can be gleaned from the literary greats. Whether you go back to St. Augustine’s Confessions or you read a more recent spiritual text, like Frank Herbert’s Dune, Lent may be the time to finally dive into these classics.
💙Judging other peoples’ Lenten sacrifices- Odds are that if you’ve gotten this far, you’ve already deemed some of these do’s and don’ts too stringent or too lax. Stop it. Be curious instead, as Ted Lasso says. Encourage people. Leave the judging to God.
💙Ordering take-out or delivery- Eat healthier and save money by eating in. Bonus: See how long you can go without grocery shopping by getting creative with those canned green beans that have been sitting in the back of your pantry.
💙Pray for other drivers on the road- Sometimes I catch a glimpse of someone’s face through a windshield, and I am struck by the multitude of lives moving in every direction on the street each day. Say a silent prayer for that person, wherever their journey takes them.
💙Say yes to something new- Lent reminds us that life is short. While it can be easy to spend 40 days in your comfort zone, try saying yes to something new and exciting once a week, just something small to spark joy.
💙Being on your phone while hanging out with your kids- I know, you’re exhausted. But you’ll never get this time with them back! Plus, you’ll be setting a good example.
💙Pray the Rosary- Pray (at least) a decade of the rosary each day reflecting on the mysteries and the faithfulness of the Blessed Mother.
💙Read the daily Gospel- Sometimes it can be hard to know what to pray “about.” But reading the daily Gospel is always a great way to enter into prayer and to follow Jesus, not only throughout Lent but the whole year
💙Tell people you’re grateful- This Lent I’m texting 40 people (one each day) to let them know that I’m grateful for them. Just a quick message in the morning before I head out the door. Bonus (if you’re brave): Blindly scroll through your contact list and let the Spirit decide.
