Are you ready for Lent?

The folks at Aggie Catholics have put together a ton of info, resources and links to prepare for Lent! Here is just a bit:

LENTEN SUGGESTIONS

Increased Prayer:

• Wake up 20 minutes early and start the day in prayer.
• Daily Mass 1-2 times a week.
• An hr. in Adoration a week.
• Go to Confession.
• Read Scripture daily.
• Go to a Lenten Bible study.
• Read a spiritual book.
• Start to pray a daily Rosary.
• Pray the Liturgy of the hours.
• Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet.
• Stations of the Cross on Fridays.
• Pray for your enemies.
• Watch The Passion of the Christ and then meditate on Christ’s life.
• Read about the life of a saint.
• Do an extra spiritual activity at Church
• Get involved in your parish if you aren’t already.
• Memorize Scripture verses.
• Check out a book on spirituality from the parish library.

Increased Almsgiving:

• When you fast from a meal, give the money you would spend to the poor.
• Use a coin box from and put all change into it for the poor.
• Volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul or another charitable organization.
• Spend more time with your parents.
• Visit a nursing home.
• Start tithing.
• Make a pledge to a worthy charity.
• Forgive an old grudge.
• Invite someone to Church.
• Share your faith with someone.
• Give someone a Catholic tract or CD.
• Exercise patience and love.
• Speak in a pleasant tone to everyone.
• Look for extra ways to help others.
• Go out of your way to talk to someone who is shy or difficult.
• Offer to watch a mother’s child(ren).
• Drive with love.
• Write a letter to a relative you haven’t seen in a while.

Increased fasting:

The following are good things we can fast from and have back at a later time:

• Fast on bread and water on Fridays.
• Fast from TV.
• Fast from snacking or candy.
• Fast from the radio in your car.
• Fast from Facebook, Twitter, and/or the internet. (NOTE: if you do decide to fast from Facebook, we have some free profile pictures you can use to show others what you are doing) - one example is the pic below, for more click here.
• Fast from caffeine.
• Do not use seasoning on your food.
• Fast from alcohol (You should not drink at anytime if you abuse alcohol or are not yet 21).

The following are things we fast from and continue to give up:

• Fast from speeding.
• Fast from sarcasm or gossip.
• Fast from envying what others have.
• Fast from being lazy or procrastination.
• Fast from not studying / working hard.
• Fast from complaining.
• Fast from some other bad habit.

LENT LINKS

Here is a list of links about lent. If you have any to add, then leave in the comments or shoot me an email.

Church Resources:

• Pope Benedict's Lent 2012 message.
• Pope Benedict's Lent 2011 message.
• Pope Benedict's Lent 2010 message.
• Pope Benedict's Lent 2009 message.
• USCCB - Lent 2011 resources.
• Catholic Relief Services - Official Lenten giving program of CRS - Operation Rice Bowl.
• Way of the Cross with Pope Benedict XVI.
• The Vatican's Lenten music.
• Pope Benedict's Ash Wed. 2011 Address.
• Pope Benedict's Ash Wed. 2010 Address.

Prayers, History, Lenten Suggestions:

• EWTN.com - Lenten reflections, questions, and more.
• AmericanCatholic.org - Lent 2011 pages
• Creighton University - Lenten prayers.
• Catholic Encyclopedia - entry on Lent
• Catholic Culture - Personal Lenten program.
• Our Sunday Visitor - Lenten resources.
• Catholic Online - Lenten resources.
• Jimmy Akin - all about Lent.
• EWTN's Stations of the cross.
• Jimmy Akin's Annual Lent Fight - good stuff if you like details.
• "Great Lent" by Thomas Howard.
• "Lent: Why that Christian Must Deny Himself" by Br. Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.
• Lent and the "Our Father": The Path of Prayer by Carl E. Olson.
• Byzantine Catholic - Lenten resources for Byzantine Catholics.
• Suggestions for Lenten Activities.
• DomesticChurch.com - exploring Lent.
• Catholic Pages - Lenten links.
• National Catholic Register - Fasting for lent.
• 40 Ways to improve your Lent.
• North American College - the Station Churches of Rome for Lent.
• Aquinas and More Catholic Goods - Lent store.
• Fr. Jerabek offers a Lenten reading plan.
• Thomas Peters recommends "The Gargoyle Code" for Lenten Reading.
• Pray the Spiritual Exercises during Lent.
• 40 Lenten Resolutions by Sherry Antonetti.
• Catholic Mom Lenten resources.
• Faith & Family lent blogs.
• Jen Fulwiler's recommended Lenten reading.
• Free online books to read for Lent.
• Jimmy has all the Church laws on eating during Lent (or not eating).
• The Anchoress tells us about Lent.
• Don't Waste Lent.
• Give Up TV for Lent.
• Deacon Greg's Ash Wed. Homily 2010
• The Day After Fat Tuesday
• Matt Warner - And To Dust You Shall Return.
• Fr. Dwight's homily gets a boy to Spend Lent In a Tent.
• How Real Are Your Ashes?
• The Instinct of Repentance.
• A Brief History of Lent.
• Penance and Reparation.

Catholic New Media on Lent:

• The Pope says Lent is a time of silence.
• The Pope is once again drawing attention to those who are hungry and poor throughout the world for our reflection during Lent 2010.
• Cardinal Rigali gave a series of reflections on Lent in 2007 starting with this video.
• 3 Minutes a Day Retreat from Loyola Press.
• Get a free booklet and CD on the Stations of the Cross Meditations.  Patrick Madrid has details.
• Videos - "Lent is a Catholic thing" and "What are Catholics Doing for Lent"
• iPadre Lenten podcasts.
• Catholic.net Lent podcasts.