Preparing for Lent: What Will Be Your Outward Expression?
“I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish” (Luke 13:3).
What does it mean to have a “good Lent”? Lent often sneaks up on me! When Easter falls at the end of March or early April, it feels as if I take down the Christmas tree only to head directly into Ash Wednesday, scrambling to find something to “give up.” However, with Easter falling on April 20 this year, we had a bit more Ordinary Time in which to consider our Lenten practice for this year. With the three weeks remaining until Ash Wednesday, we can meditate on the saints’ penitential habits and prayerfully determine how God is calling us to prepare for Lent this year.
What Is Penance?
A common message Mary has shared through her many apparitions “penance, penance, penance!” In contemplating the upcoming season of Lent, we can take a moment to consider what penance means in general as well as what it means to us personally. The Oxford English Dictionary defines penance as “voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong.”
As a voluntary self-punishment, through penance, we accept the personal nature of our sinful action and admit that it was wrong. The Church instructs us to actively participate in Lent with prayer, fasting, and intense moments of penitential practice (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1438), but if we are to fully engage in the season, we would benefit from taking our sacrifices a bit further than the popular refraining from chocolate!
Consider what “outward expression” would be a penance worthy of the sin we committed. St. Bernadette crawled on her knees, kissed the dirty ground, and smeared mud on her face, all in response to the message of penance. These actions caused onlookers to think she was mad. At Fatima, Mary told the children to sacrifice themselves for sinners. As I prepare for this season dedicated to making reparations and preparing my heart for Easter, I desire to give an outward expression of an inner spirit that resembles our suffering Servant (Isaiah 53).
Outward Expression—or Keep Penance Private?
It is also worth acknowledging that Jesus tells us:
When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you (Matthew 6:16-18).
How do we reconcile that teaching with the idea of giving an outward expression? They are not mutually exclusive. An outward expression is not about being showy but about making a tangible offering, not merely a mental exercise. We can feel sorrow for sin and even speak words of repentance, but I believe that we are called to greater mortification, which often requires an outward, tangible act of penance.
In my own preparation, I admit I do not believe that I am capable of the humility required to behave as St. Bernadette did, and it is difficult to look beyond my own needs for mercy and make sacrifices for others as Mary asked at Fatima. I ask God for the grace to set myself apart from the worldly and do penance worthy of the One I offended.
Back to Our Calendar
Last month, I wrote about how our checkbooks and our calendars indicate our priorities, and that as professionals, we can create schedules that allow for the fasts and feasts of our faith. When you are considering your Lenten penitential practice for 2025, perhaps there is something on your calendar that you can offer to God.
Is there an activity you can forgo or one that you can add? Our time is our most valuable commodity. Perhaps offering a sacrifice of time will demonstrate your “voluntary self-punishment” in a way that will also call others to reflect on their own daily actions. Other options may be a weekly girls’ adoration hour instead of a weekly girls’ night or serving a meal at a shelter instead of having a Friday night pizza and movie night.
What tangible offering—be it time, talent, or treasure—can you offer with humility and sacrifice to God?
Remember, we are called to live set apart and be the sign of Christ is our world. If we do offer an outward sign, Lent can be a powerful evangelization tool. As Christians, we are often criticized for being hypocrites—that we talk a good game but live lives that are barely distinguishable from unbelievers. This season gives us the opportunity to live differently. Regardless of what you choose to sacrifice, prayerfully reflect on whether it adequately reflects an internal intention of reparation for sin and a true desire to turn from that sin and toward Christ. In that intention, our obedience is what God will cherish more than our sacrifice (1Samuel 15:22).
Laryn Weaver is a career chameleon with a consistent focus. Her goal is for each person she encounters to have a deep understanding of their own worth and value and an awareness of the skills and gifts that they bring to the world. While not technically a business coach, 95% of her clients are in the business world. For 25 years, her desire has been to build up the women as they build their lives.
Laryn is the author of four books and spent part of her career as a motivational speaker for Catholic women and women in business. She regards her marriage of 31 years and her four adult children who love Jesus and have a commitment to beauty, truth, and goodness her greatest accomplishments. Her latest blessings are the four grandbabies who add abundantly to her gratitude! Find out more about Laryn and the services she offers at larynweaver.com.