With Lent coming up, I am sharing the recommendations I post for my students below. Lent is a period of penance, prayer, and alms giving, and it’s a good practice to choose something for each of these categories to work on. It’s best to focus on things you’ll actually stick to, rather than start with something very strict and difficult.

Ideas for Lent

Penance

• Observe prescribed fasts and abstinences
• Practice some form of asceticism (eg: cold showers, sleeping on floor, additional fasts etc.) and offer up your sacrifice

Prayer

• Build a prayer habit by doing one of the following:
  • Angelus Prayer (6 am, noon, 6 pm)
  • Morning and Night Prayer
  • A daily Rosary

• Join or begin an organization for Catholics (confraternity, prayer group, religious themed book club, etc.). Some examples:
  • Militia Immaculata [Laity and clergy consecrated to Jesus through Mary, based on the work of St. Maximillian Kolbe]
  • Green Scapular Society
  • Start a group with friends/classmates

Alms

• Give away not just what you don’t need any more. Make sacrifices (ex: skip a purchase and donate the money you didn’t spend; donate clothes that still fit).   
• Make a point to carry cash or gift cards to give to anyone who asks.