“If I knew that I was dying soon, how would I spend my last Lent on earth?” I know that I would desire to say at the end of Lent: “There is nothing that I love more than I love You, my Lord. There is no one that I desire to be with more than You. There is nothing that I would rather be called than a good servant of Jesus Christ.”

Whether we live for two months or 50 years, we want the goal for this Lent to be the same, don’t we? We need a goal to motivate our prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Let’s make our goal nothing less than life with Christ: may He be our greatest friend and love! I know that we are two weeks into Lent, but it’s not too late to adopt one or more of the following Lenten penances:

1. Unplug the TV, cover it with a blanket, and ignore it until Easter. What do you do with the time you save?
2. Offer the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary each day of Lent for the conversion of sinners and an end to the terrible sin of abortion in our beloved country.
3. During the Masses of the year 2010, the entire Church reads the Gospel of St. Luke. Read this Gospel on your own during Lent, slowly and prayerfully, a bit each day, and talk about it with your family.
4. Give the good people at Samaritan House or Seton House a call and volunteer to help them one day a week. This would be a memorable experience that you will not soon forget.
5. Look at your family finances, and ask yourself this question: “Are we giving our first 10% to the Lord, from whom all our blessing come?”

“My Good Shepherd, who have shown Your very gentle mercy to us unworthy sinners in various physical pains and sufferings, give grace and strength to me, Your little lamb, that in no tribulation or anguish or pain may I turn away from You..” (St. Francis of Assisi)