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#stanthonydesert

The Season of Lent

2/26/2020

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Dear Families,
It is the season of Lent. This  week you will receive in the mail a book titled Make Room: A Child's Guide To Lent and Easter by Laura Alary. I thought this would be a great book for you to share with your children during this most holy season.
I believe with my whole heart that you can have a beautiful SIMPLE Lent. I also believe that you need to give Lent some thought before it begins. I encourage you to not only come up with some resolutions, but also plan a beautiful and life-giving activity for the whole family. 
A lot of our Lenten Resolutions are a good start on this quest of making room, but on their own they don't quite get the job done.
  • We give up Netflix.
  • We sign off of Facebook.
  • We abstain from desserts.
Cutting these things will give us more time and space...but just cutting something can create a vacuum.
  • What will we do INSTEAD of watching Netflix at night?
  • What will we do INSTEAD of scrolling Facebook in our downtime?
  • How will we FILL OURSELVES if not with sugar and desserts?
These are the key questions we need to answer before Lent begins.
The simple answer, of course, is that when you clear away the junk, you need to let God fill that space.
  • If you resolve to stop scrolling your phone, then use that time to pray.
  • If you resolve to stop eating out as a family, then use that extra money to feed the hungry.
  • If you resolve to cut Netflix, then use that 45 minutes to spend time with your family or read a spiritual work.
  • And, if you resolve to limit your outside commitments as a family, consider adding time to volunteer .
Be bold in your resolution, but keep in mind that Lent reminds us that we have limitations.
We only have 24 hours each day. We are limited in our energy, resources and emotions.
Over the past year we have said "yes" to a million little things, and those little things have piled up. It's time to step back and start clearing away the clutter. With each thing we clear away, we are saying "yes" to God. We are giving Him the space He needs to heal us, love us, lead us. (I adapted some of these ideas from Catholic Sprouts.)
It's time to make room for what is important.
Be well, and happy Lenten planning!
Blessings,
Suzette

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Saint Anthony on the Desert ~ 12990 E. Shea Boulevard ~ Scottsdale, AZ 85259
480.451.0860 ~ email: communications@st-anthony.net