Be Re"Lent"less with Your Family this Year

by Nick Popadich

Lenten season got you down in the dumps? Read on to discover some simple activities that are sure to breathe the life back into your family and your faith.

No Comparison to Christmas (Or So You Think)

Now obviously, as far as activities go, Lent just isn't as "family-friendly" as Advent.

During Advent we await the savior's birth by lighting an Advent wreath.
During Lent, we get ashes put on our foreheads.

During Advent our calendars have little doors that often hide chocolate surprises for each day.
During Lent we give up chocolate and eat fish.

This is hardly a fun time of preparation. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Getting Back To The Roots

Lent is today and was at its inception a time for new people to enter the church. It's a time when people prepare to have their baptism and confirmation at the Easter Vigil. But who would want to enter a church that says you need to give things up for 40 days? I don't think I would.

Not that there's anything wrong with learning self-discipline and sacrifice. I'm just saying, it's generally not a hit with the kids.

To make this Lent different for your family, maybe you need to figure out why you're a follower of Christ. Have discussions, depending on the ages in your family, about why you personally enjoy being Catholic. Let's make Lent a time of soul searching and appreciation.

Take A Hint From Mark

The idea of the 40 days of preparation during Lent came from Jesus' time out in the desert. This is all that Mark, the first gospel writer, said about that episode:

At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the
Desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and
The angels waited on him. (Mark 1: 12-13)

Ah, "He was among wild beasts," it says. So in other words, he was around your children. And he only had to do it for 40 days! But this is the best part. It says, "The angels waited on him." That doesn't sound too bad. Let's learn from Mark and create some new Lenten traditions in your family.

Suggestions of Biblical Proportions

Perhaps instead of giving something up, your family should do something more.

Maybe you decide that you will all eat at the table together each night for dinner. This would take a lot of planning and work, but I think you would be pleased with the results.

Perhaps you create a movie night for your family. Everyone must be present, and each time a different member of your family gets to choose a good movie.

Or you could have a board game night each week. Get some snacks and play all those games you never give yourself time for anymore.

And finally, another idea might be that you give the little "angels" each a night to wait on the others (or on their parents or grandparents). On that night, they run to get a Coke, set the table, answer the phone, etc. Any small act of kindness they do for another member of the family will help to strengthen the bonds of the whole family.

Lent: A Family Affair

Lent has always been about families. During Advent we see the start of the Holy Family, but it isn't until the dark times in Jesus' life that we truly see what that family was all about. When people met Jesus and saw what he stood for, they were able to truly say they had met God face to face. Isn't this what we want people to say about our families and us?

Life Applications:

Do you feel that Lent should be a time of repentance and sacrifice? Why?
What might be difficult about spending more time with your family as opposed to just giving something up?
What can you do to fully enjoy Lent and Easter this year?

Copyright 2002-2006 by Nick Popadich
All rights reserved.