Lent & Easter Customs 2
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Part Two Ways Families Celebrate Lent and Easter 2011 SURVEY RESULTS LENTEN PRACTICES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN, RECIPES, AND MORE Compiled by Catholic Heritage Curricula www.chcweb.com As a parent, which Lenten activity/prayer/practice is the most helpful to your own spiritual growth and renewal? Doing sacrifi cial things as a family is helpful to We prac ce the “Our Father” during Lent each me. It is like holding hands through life. It’s a per- day. It helps the li le ones to learn the words. sonifi ca on of our Lord suff ering with us as we It also gives everyone a chance to ask ques- are met with each day. ons about what the words mean especially if Renee in Belleville, WI they don’t understand. Some mes the kids ask ques ons that I’m able to answer right away and During Lent, I try to pray the rosary more dili- others I have to research. The ques ons help gently. At the beginning of the Lenten season me with spiritual growth because it gives me a it seems so labored to try to squeeze it into my chance to think about Our Lord for a longer pe- already busy schedule of raising 3 young children, riod during my busy day. but by the end of Lent it is like second nature. I Tiff any in Disputanta, VA love that. I feel so much closer to Jesus and Our Mother Mary by the me Easter is here. Trying to keep all of Lent austere - no celebra ng Lindsey in Boerne, TX if possible, trying to turn off as much interior and exterior noise as possible, and par cularly trying The Rosary and prayer to Padre Pio help to calm to keep the Triduum as solemn a me as the li le my soul and prepare for motherhood as a daily ones will allow. We are so bombarded by noise calling. and images that it makes it diffi cult to hear and Sarah in Corpus Chris , TX see God some mes; this helps me to see Him more clearly. Sta ons of the Cross, Benedic on, and Adora on. Lu in Spring Lake, MI Anne in Barron, WI Praying the Sta ons of the Cross is especially Concentra ng on the Sorrowful Mysteries while powerful for me during the Lenten season. reci ng the rosary. Karen in Bethel, CT Molly in Ridgway, PA It is all of the things we do put together, it is For me, it’s praying a decade of the Rosary. I pu ng Jesus constantly on our minds and in our was not raised Catholic so just saying that prayer hearts. aloud with my child is s ll very powerful to me. I Jamie in St Cloud, MN don’t take for granted that I am giving him a solid founda on in the Catholic faith. The Family Sta ons our parish has organized re- Stephanie in Broussard, LA ally bring families together. Everyone par cipates whether it be reading or making a picture. Each We have Lenten speakers every year. Every Thurs- family chosen presents the sta on in their own day night we have a speaker and then Confession. way. A variety of ages always makes for a blessed It keeps me on the right track through the Lenten experience. season. Cathy in Louisville, KY Marta in Cincinna , OH Discipline. If I work at being disciplined as a The Way of the Cross has been the most power- mother, prayer me and spiritual growth are a ful prayer for me. priority. Robin in Hickory, NC Mallory in Bemidji, MN Increased spiritual reading. Helping the kids un- This past year has been a spiritual awakening of derstand Lent, helps me too. sorts and it began during Lent by reading scrip- Cathy in St. Louis ture daily and we have con nued throughout the en re year and loved it! We love to say the Rosary Last year, our parish gave out Lenten devo onals too and my sons really enjoy joining in on the called The Li le Purple Book. This was a great ac vity, even my three year old! way for me to focus and meditate on my Lenten Ann-Marie in Rome, NY journey. Melissa in Albuquerque, NM I e purple ribbon on each and every holy pic- ture and statue in our home. Seeing that purple We open our home and share our beau ful reminder makes me stop and think about Christ’s woods each Friday during Lent. Homeschooling sacrifi ce, even for a brief moment, throughout the families are invited to join us for The Outdoor Sta- day. ons of the Cross. E. D. in Sanford, NC We have built a “Sta ons Journey” through the Each year is diff erent. I try to choose a new inspi- trails of our woods...the images (which we pur- ra onal read. Last year’s book was “Ascending chased from CHC!!!) hang on trees with a small the Heights” by Father John Mack. I don’t o en cross and a purple ribbon on each one. We have set aside that me for myself to tackle a book, so I cleared out a circle at the foot of each Sta on, really look forward to it. where my 14 year old son stands with a HUGE Laura in Campbell, CA wooden cross he constructed to lead us in proces- sion...as we go from Sta on to Sta on, we sing The Li le Black Book that my church off ers every the Divine Mercy Chaplet. A erward, families are Lent. A doable bit of prayer and medita on and invited in for a light snack and fellowship. scripture for a busy mom. Hilary in Leeds, AL This has strengthened my children in their jour- ney, has taught them about the importance of The sacrament of Reconcilia on just before Easter work...as service...(they had to help build the helps me to feel a sense of renew that I don’t get sta ons and maintain their upkeep)...and also at any other me of year. teaches them that we have a larger family in the Bridget in Los Gatos, CA community, with whom we are blessed to share our Lenten journey. The Lenten Group (Lenten prayer group that meets each week in Lent). We have run it for 15 By far, one the most enriching Lenten exercises years in our home. It certainly has brought us I have ever done was keeping Lenten Gra tude closer to Our Lord. The Sta ons make me cry and Journal about my husband. Each day, I was to want to do good always. write 3-5 ways in which he blesses my life or Leanne in Medowie NSW Australia things I am thankful for about him...it was VERY healing and nurturing to my soul...in so many Giving something up - usually sweets or chocolate ways...at Easter, I ed the journal in a lovely rib- - has been just right for me, as I tend to ‘indulge’ bon and gave it to my husband as an Easter gi ! in such things when stressed, red, crabby, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone who wishes The sacrifi ce is diffi cult -- all the more incen ve to to grow closer to Christ in their marriage during try to curb my appe te! Lent. Polly in Grand Rapids, MI Judy in Warfordsburg, PA Do you usually We cut out a big red heart from Both are important. I think that construc on paper and write it is a great way to balance the “off er some- down what we will give up or spiritual life, and to remember do extra. The year my husband that we must both deny ourselves thing up” for gave up chewing tobacco was the as well as do unto others, not just Lent or do you best! one or the other. Anne in Barron, WI Lu in Spring Lake, MI fi nd “giving Off ering something up works bet- Ideally, I like to try to do both! alms and doing ter for us, because it is too easy Some mes our “giving alms” is for us to slide and not “look for” only a li le coin folder or card- acts of charity” opportuni es to do acts of char- board box - something we can is more benefi - ity. Our sacrifi ce is with us every do without really thinking much moment throughout Lent. about it. Fas ng (especially cial — or both? Molly in Ridgway, PA from TV!!) is more of a constant reminder, a sacrifi ce renewed I fi nd giving up TV for a certain again and again, which has more part of the day to be moving. impact on me personally. Even though somedays I wouldn’t Karen in Bethel, CT watch TV in the morning at all, it was s ll powerful when it be- We like to do both. We usually came an off ering to Jesus. give something up as a family, Stephanie in Broussard, LA like no desserts or something like that. We also each individually I do give something up, but I’m give something up. We add The very involved in church, so I give Chaplet of Divine Mercy in the a lot of me to service work. a ernoons. We do a Sacrifi ce jar Both, we give up something dur- Marta in Cincinna , OH where they put dry beans into ing Lent.