Basic building blocks of prayer, fasting and almsgiving help us keep the focus on Jesus
Lent is about return, not reinvention.
The liturgical season of Lent is observed each year from Ash Wednesday until the Easter Triduum, mirroring the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert preparing for His mission. Other biblical references point to the significance of 40, including the 40 years Moses and the Israelites wandered in the desert and the 40 hours Christ spent in the tomb.
During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting.
It can be tempting for Catholics to treat Lent like a self-improvement project, setting goals and measuring progress as a series of successes or failures to do everything right. We fall into the trap of trying to come up with the most creative “thing to give up” or resolving to completely reinvent our prayer lives from zero to 60.
It’s important to remember that our Lenten practices are meant to draw us into a deeper relationship with Jesus. The first reading on Ash Wednesday reminds us of that invitation: “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart” (Joel 2:12).
In that spirit, getting back to the basics of the season can keep our minds and hearts oriented toward Jesus rather than ourselves. Simplicity makes room for real life: parents who are stretched thin caring for young children, those who are experiencing the emotional and physical demands of illness or grief, Catholics who are just beginning to return to practicing the faith after time away.
If life is overwhelming right now and the idea of adding extra commitments beyond the Church’s baseline requirements seems unbearable, lean into the liturgical life of the Church. Even if we simply faithfully attend Sunday Mass, the prayers, readings, liturgical colors and music help us enter into the season.
For those who feel ready to take on more challenging practices during the season, ask the Lord to show you what is standing in the way of growing closer to Him.
St. Francis de Sales wrote, “The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift of His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms, and weighed with His own hands to see that it is not one inch too large nor one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy name, anointed it with His grace, perfumed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.”
Take the building blocks of Lent and use them as a foundation to return to Jesus in your everyday life:
Prayer
“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” — St. Therese of Lisieux
Find one spot on your calendar to block off for an hour of eucharistic adoration in the coming weeks.
Wear a crucifix or Miraculous Medal around your neck daily to remind you of God’s presence. Offer a short and simple prayer when you put it on in the morning: “Jesus, I surrender to you. Take care of everything.”
Go to confession, and prepare yourself beforehand by taking time to examine your conscience.
Fasting
“We have recourse to fasting in order that the mind may arise more freely to the contemplation of heavenly things.” — St. Thomas Aquinas
Faithfully observe the Church’s required days of fasting and abstinence and consider choosing one more manageable small fast. Ask Jesus to show you something that is getting in the way of growing closer to Him.
Choose rest over consumption at the end of the day. Put away social media, the news or television 30 minutes earlier and go to bed.
Almsgiving
“Almsgiving, far from being reduced to an occasional offering of money, means assuming an attitude of sharing and acceptance. We only need to ‘open our eyes’ to see beside us so many brothers and sisters who are suffering materially and spiritually. Thus Lent is a forceful invitation to solidarity.” — St. John Paul II
Choose one way to give generously during the season, whether to your parish, the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl campaign, the archdiocesan Deacon Diaper Drive or another cause that is meaningful to you.
Give freely of your time to one person who requires patience or forgiveness.
Lenten regulations for the Archdiocese of St. Louis
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
The Church has always helped us fulfill these words of Jesus by prescribing very definite penance for all Catholics, so that we too might have eternal life. Accordingly, the pope and the American bishops have outlined obligatory fast and abstinence as follows: Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18, 2026), all Fridays of Lent and Good Friday (April 3, 2026) are days of abstinence (refraining from meat) for all Catholics from age 14 onwards.
Lenten regulations for the Archdiocese of St. Louis
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
The Church has always helped us fulfill these words of Jesus by prescribing very definite penance for all Catholics, so that we too might have eternal life. Accordingly, the pope and the American bishops have outlined obligatory fast and abstinence as follows: Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18, 2026), all Fridays of Lent and Good Friday (April 3, 2026) are days of abstinence (refraining from meat) for all Catholics from age 14 onwards.
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, fast, as well as abstinence, is also obligatory for those from the ages of 18-59. Abstinence means refraining from meat. Fast means one full meal a day, with two smaller meals and nothing between meals (liquids are permitted). No Catholic will lightly excuse himself or herself from this obligation.
Lenten resources
• Watch the Archdiocese of St. Louis on Instagram @arch_stl and Facebook @archstl for reflections and educational content throughout Lent.
• The Augustine Institute’s Formed online content is available to parishioners in the Archdiocese of St. Louis at no cost. Watch Lenten content and more at formed.org.
The USCCB offers a daily Lent calendar, FAQs, tips and more at usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/lent.
Lenten fish fry map
The St. Louis Review maintains a map of Lenten fish fries throughout the archdiocese. To submit your fish fry, visit www.stlouisreview.com/story/lenten-fish-fries.
