Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday which is the beginning of the Triduum (three days before Easter Sunday). Lent is a preparation for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ (i.e Easter); but, it is also a time of renewal when we should be looking at ourselves and our family asking "What can I do...what do I need to do to put God first in my life?" There are certain basic practices we do during lent to help us along in our renewal: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are times for fasting and abstinence for all Catholics over the age of 18; each Friday of Lent all Catholics between the ages of 14 and 59 practice abstinence from eating meat or, if for medical or age reasons this is not possible, abstaining from something else. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (i.e. charity) are central to the christian spiritual life and have been practiced from the beginning of the Church as well as in the Old Testament. It is also customary to give up something during the entire lenten season (e.g. video games, TV, candy, etc) and to add in something extra such as daily/weekly reading of the bible, extra prayer time, attending confession more frequently, family time dedicated to prayers such as the Rosary, Chaplet of Mercy, or reading bible stories, etc. Lent should be a time to reorient ourselves to Christ and to cut out things that tend to distract us from God. For details on the "regulations" around lent click here.
More Links with Information on Lenten Spirituality:
Why do we fast? Why abstain from eating meat on certain days?
Prayer, Fasting, and Alms giving for Spiritual Growth
The Fast as Spiritual Warfare
Fasting in the New Testament
Fasting and the early Church Fathers
More Links with Information on Lenten Spirituality:
Why do we fast? Why abstain from eating meat on certain days?
Prayer, Fasting, and Alms giving for Spiritual Growth
The Fast as Spiritual Warfare
Fasting in the New Testament
Fasting and the early Church Fathers