Ten tips for a Christ-centered Lent

Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18. (Photo by James Ramos/Herald)

HOUSTON (OSV News) — We sell our faith short, and so we sell our Lent short. At least I do.

For much of my life, I treated the faith mainly as a set of rules to follow. I knew the rules were not the goal; they were meant to lead me to God’s will, God’s love and true happiness.

But faith is more than following God’s will. It is union with Jesus Christ. As St. Athanasius wrote, “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” God is love, powerful enough to desire union with us. He became man to make that possible and gave us the Sacraments, especially Baptism, to bring us into that union.

I used to approach Lent as spiritual conditioning to help me follow God’s will. Now I do many of the same practices but with a new intention: becoming one with Jesus Christ. Baptism makes this possible. If we cooperate with grace, Baptism allows us to share in the divine life, beginning with faith, hope and love.

1. Pray with Christ in the desert to grow in faith

Be intentional. Imagine yourself with Jesus in the desert or imagine him present where you pray. Jesus is not confined by time or space. As spiritual teachers like St. Ignatius remind us, using our imagination in prayer acknowledges what is already true: Jesus is with us.
Christianity is not a religion of a book but of the Word. Faith is not merely agreeing to teachings; it is a relationship with a person. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, the source of all goodness, truth and beauty. Spend time with Him in the desert and let His presence illuminate everything else.

Lord Jesus, give us the faith to recognize Your presence everywhere in creation.

2. Fast with Christ to learn hope

In the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert. This shows us what true consolation is. The Spirit does not assure us that life will always be easy. He assures us that we are rooted in a deeper relationship that sustains us through difficulty.
Fasting teaches this same truth. Yes, fasting strengthens self-control, but its deeper purpose is to anchor us in hope. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in “Spe salvi” that avoiding suffering leads to emptiness, not happiness. It is in facing suffering with God that hope grows.

Fasting helps us say, not “Everything is fine,” but “Even in the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me.”

Lord Jesus, as we fast, give us hope grounded in Your presence, not in material comforts.

3. Give alms to grow in love for Christ in others

Parents instinctively see their children as more precious because they are theirs. In a similar way, God sees every person as uniquely beloved because each one bears His image. To become like Jesus, we must learn to see others this way.

Mother Teresa summed up Jesus’ teaching with her “Gospel on five fingers”: You. Did. It. To. Me. Whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for Christ Himself.

Lord Jesus, as we give alms, help us love and console You in those who suffer.

4. Pray the Stations of the Cross to gain Christ’s wisdom

Baptism gives us not only the theological virtues but also the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom is the gift of seeing reality as Christ sees it.
The Stations of the Cross help form that vision. Use your imagination as you pray. You may be standing in the back of church, but you are also among the crowd in Jerusalem. Pray for the grace to see Jesus’ suffering not as a spectacle but as the revelation of God’s love for you.

Lord Jesus, help us pray the Stations deeply so that we see with Your eyes and know that You gaze with love on us.

5. Do spiritual reading to grow in understanding

The gift of understanding is the bright flash of spiritual insight that helps truth penetrate our minds. One way to cultivate it is through spiritual reading. Today, we have unprecedented access to the writings of saints, theologians and spiritual teachers. A few clicks can bring Thomas Aquinas, C.S. Lewis, Fulton Sheen or leaders into our hands.

Spiritual reading helps us share in the insights of others and strengthens our own understanding.

Lord Jesus, deepen our understanding through Your word and the wisdom of Your saints.

6. Attend Mass to share Christ’s knowledge

Our purpose is to know, love and serve God. To know Him means both learning about Him and being united with Him. The Mass accomplishes this through Scripture and the Eucharist.

The prophets Ezekiel and John describe visions in which they eat God’s word. At Mass, we receive that same gift not in a vision but in reality, hearing the word proclaimed and receiving Christ in Communion.

Lord Jesus, help us receive You deeply at each Mass through Word and Sacrament.

7. Give something up so your heart grows in fortitude

Lenten sacrifices reveal what we cling to for comfort or identity. A friend once asked, “What is the one thing you would not give up, even for God?” That question stays with me.
Love gives fortitude. Lovers routinely give up preferences and time for each other. Parents give up sleep, plans and comfort for their children. We give things up for whom we love most. Giving something up for Jesus strengthens the heart’s courage.

Lord Jesus, give us the fortitude to surrender whatever keeps us from You.

8. Live Ash Wednesday, Fridays and Good Friday to follow Christ’s counsel

Counsel is the Holy Spirit’s guidance, formed through the habit of following God’s will. The Church’s Lenten practices shape that habit. Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstaining from meat on Fridays unite us with Christ’s sacrifice.
The nostalgia many Catholics feel for Lenten traditions reveals the Church’s deep imprint on our souls. These rhythms teach us that we belong to Christ and can rest in Him.

Lord Jesus, help us walk faithfully with Your Church.

9. Pray the Rosary to grow in fear of the Lord and piety

To share Christ’s life, we need both awe of God’s majesty and trust in His intimate love. Jesus expresses both when He prays, “Father, glorify your name” and “Abba, Father.”
Mary embodies these gifts. In the joyful mysteries, she brings Christ to the world. In the glorious mysteries, she shares in His victory. The sorrowful mysteries reveal her steadfast love at the cross, captured in the hymn “Stabat Mater.”

Lord Jesus, let us learn awe and tenderness from Your mother.

10. Renew your baptism at Easter to become one with Christ

At Easter, we renew our baptismal promises. This is the heart of Lent. 

As the catechism teaches, Christ’s riches belong to all. The more we give ourselves to Lent, the more Christ conforms us to Himself, which is our greatest happiness. To live Lent well, we do not need extraordinary practices, only renewed intention. Lent is meant to make us one with Jesus. 

Tom Hoopes writes for OSV News from Benedictine College in Kansas, where he is writer in residence and teaches journalism and communications.