Lent is for the Family

Ash Wednesday is fast approaching. Do you have your Lenten plans in mind? Me either. I did a bit of research and came up with a few websites to help make the changes in my home. Here's what I found:

Fridge Art:

Fridge Art is the heart of the Domestic-Church.com web site. This is where you'll find fun family centred activities - only some are crafts, we also have games or other activities - all designed to bring the liturgical life of church into the home, and teach children about living the Catholic faith. Making faithful activities a 'normal' part of family life goes a long way towards building an enduring family faith life. http://www.domestic-church.com/index.dir/index_fridge.htm

Crossroads Initiative:

Lent and Holy Week Resources
http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_category/3/Lent_and_Holy_Week.html

What does Lent mean to you? Is is just the dark time in the Church, categorized by dark draperies and sad faces? Just 40 days to repent and go to church? Or is it more?

I figure we've all heard about giving something up for Lent, but what about ADDING something to the routine instead? While we give up TV during Lent (we hardly watch it anyway), we will be adding a rosary (at least weekly, maybe more) to our schedule. The kids all get their rosary, even F - who at 2 thinks it's a large chunky bead necklace - and pray along.

Have you thought about adding Penitential Meals? Barb, SFO Mom has a wonderful post at her site about what constitutes a Penitential Meal. Talk with your children, as I will be doing, about what it means to fast and be penitent. How it relates to what God sacrificed for us.

We have an AWESOME book called Lent Begins at Home:Family Prayers and Activities by Pat and Rosemary Ryan that we will be using this year. We've actually had it for a few years, but I never find it in time. THIS YEAR, I'm ahead of the game! Published by Liguori, it's an inexpensive purchase to last years - about $5.

Jessica at Homemaking Through the Church Year is hosting a Lenten Blog Carnival. Monday is the last day to get in on this, so get your Lenten post written! Failing that, use one from past years. Just get in on the Lenten goodies!