Today is Ash Wednesday - the first of 40 days of Lent leading up to the Easter. There are all sorts of great resources on keeping lent. We stole this one from The House for All Sinners and Saints. You might also follow along with Pray As You Go or find a book like Bread and Wine. However you observe it, we hope you find some sacred moments in this Lenten season.
40 Ideas for Keeping a Holy Lent
Adapted from House for All Sinners and Saints 2012 www.houseforall.org
Day 1: Pray for your enemies
Day 2: Walk, carpool, bike or bus it.
Day 3: Don’t turn on the car radio
Day 4: Give $20 to a non-profit of your choosing
(Sunday)
Day 5: Take 5 minutes of silence at noon
Day 6: Look out the window until you find something of beauty you had not noticed before
Day 7: Give 5 items of clothing to Global Neighborhood
Day 8: No whining day
Day 9: Do someone else’s chore
Day 10:Pray that the best will happen to the public person you dislike the most
(Sunday)
Day 11: Call an old friend
Day 12: Pray the Paper (pray for people and situations in today’s news)
Day 13: Read Psalm 139
Day 14: Pay a few sincere compliments
Day 15: No TV day
Day 16: Educate yourself about human trafficking http://www.generationalive.org/fight-slavery-rescources
(Sunday)
Day 17: Forgive someone
Day 18: Internet diet
Day 19: Change one light in your house to a compact florescent or LED
Day 20: Pray with Sacred Space www.sacredspace.ie/daily-prayer
Day 21: Ask for help
Day 22: Tell someone what you are grateful for
(Sunday)
Day 23: Introduce yourself to a neighbor
Day 24: Read Psalm 121
Day 25: Bake a cake
Day 26: No shopping day
Day 27: Light a virtual candle www.rejesus.co.uk/site/module/post_a_prayer/#
Day 28: Light an actual candle
(Sunday)
Day 29: Write a thank you note to a teacher/coworker/friend.
Day 30: Invest in canvas shopping bags
Day 31: Use Freecycle www.freecycle.org
Day 32: Donate art supplies to your local elementary school
Day 33: Read John 8:1-11
Day 34: Fast from self-criticism
(Sunday)
Day 35: Confess a secret
Day 36: No sugar day – where else is there sweetness in your life?
Day 37: Give $20 to a local non-profit
Day 38: Educate yourself about a saint www.catholic.org/saints
Day 39: Pray for peace
Day 40: Pray for your enemies (you probably have new ones by now) then decide which of these exercises you’ll keep for good
