The Lenten Parish Experience: An Opportunity To Prioritize Your Faith

For lifelong Catholics, there are probably many things that come to mind when thinking of the season of Lent — from ashes on your forehead, to fish on Fridays, to fasting and making other acts of penance. And while Lent this year will be a little different from normal, it is still an opportunity to step outside of our “normal,” and take time to refocus on what truly matters — our relationship with Christ and His Church.

This year, St. Peter Catholic Church hopes to encourage this pursuit in a variety of different ways, beginning with the Lenten Experience. Materials will be available after all Masses on Feb. 13-14, the weekend before Ash Wednesday. This year, the resource selection will be limited due to gathering restrictions. The materials available are for parishioners to take home and use to enhance their faith and spirituality during this holy season. Director of Religious Education Lynette McArdle works hard to ensure that there is something for everyone, regardless of age or where they are on their journey of faith.

“I hope that people find something that they’ll use,” Lynette says. “I hope it draws them closer to the Lord, even one tiny step.

“The Church, in her wisdom, has given us wonderful times to pull us back and say, ‘Now, you need to prepare and focus, because this is going to be happening,’” she adds. “This is a time to make those improvements. If you’ve gone off the path or gotten into a rut, it’s time to shake yourself out of it.”

Throughout the season of Lent, there will be several different opportunities for parishioners to deepen their faith, including our parish retreat, on February 20th and Stations of the Cross every Friday. These special events invite parishioners to embrace this special time in the Church year, preparing their hearts for the celebration of Easter, the high point of our faith as Catholics.

“Our focus in Lent is to take our time, to step back, and focus on what’s important,” Lynette says. “We are thinking, ‘How can I change my life?’ This is my annual spiritual check-up.”

Lent is also a time to experience the graces available in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There will be additional opportunities to go to Reconciliation during Holy Week.

“Lent is a perfect time to receive God’s forgiveness and grace,” Lynette says.

Throughout the season, we encounter the interwoven themes of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — the three tools the Church encourages us to utilize in re-centering our lives on the mysteries of our faith, particularly the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Savior.

“Those things — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — are to help us conform our hearts to God’s,” Lynette says. “When you give yourself over to God’s will, there is such peace. Those things are to help us, mold us, and form us into being better people so that we can align ourselves with what God wants for our lives.”

Lynette hopes that, especially for those who have perhaps been away from St. Peter due to COVID-19, the Lenten season will be a time of returning to church and recommitting themselves to grow in faith and prayer.

“This Lent, I’m hoping everybody reconnects with the parish, with the Church, and with Christ,” Lynette says. “I’m hoping we can come out of this with a stronger connection, and make our parish community stronger.

“If you’ve been away, Lent is a beautiful time to reconnect,” she adds. “We need to be careful, but we still need to connect with our faith. Our spiritual lives are still important.”

If you would like more information on Lenten opportunities at St. Peter Catholic Church, please check out the bulletin or our parish website at www.saintpeterslincoln.com.