Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa

In the past, Lent has not been very personal for me, or the boys. Oh, I would give up coffee, chocolate or such and attend Stations of the Cross. The boys would select something and then we'd all try to remember what we weren't supposed to do. I was volunteering in the parish office, so I thought that was enough almsgiving.

Sometimes it is difficult being a newbie Catholic. I do not have family or church traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. The boys rely on me for their...um...Catholic activities. So, I read books or articles, surf through Catholic websites and blogs, and try to find something "Catholic" to bring into our lives. 

For Lent this year, I wanted something more personal for me and the boys. I wanted to bring Lent alive. It is a tremendous help that the boys and I are co-teaching Sunday School/Prep. Class for PreK4. The parish provides the materials, and, my co-teacher rocks the kiddie crafts! The children are such a joy. We've really paid attention to Lent and Easter season this year because we have to explain it to a room full of 4-year-olds!

I purchased Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle. This has been an helpful book. Each day it offers prayers, reflections, stories about Mother Teresa's life, suggestions for fasting and almsgiving. My favorite sections of the book are fasting and almsgiving - there's different suggestions for each day of the week. For fasting there's "give up a TV show, a video game, or the internet." For almsgiving there's "think of someone who is in need of love and what could be done to show love for this person." Contemporary and personal.

The boys and I read thru the day's pages and decide as a group what the fasting and almsgiving will be. One day they may give up two hours of internet before bedtime, desserts or no complaining and bickering for a day. We also pick something good to do, like random acts of kindness. Oh, one particular day was smile, and mean it. The boys had no problem  with that, but I had to face all the parents in carline. Smile and mean it? When I wanted to run them over with my car? Oh, now that was a tough day, but in the day I felt better for it.

Whenever there was "do something special for a classmate, teacher, neighbor or friend" the boys would choose do something for Nana, like taking her dinner, writing pictures or poems, offering help. It's important the boys learn to really help the family and Nana was so happy with each gift or gesture. Another win-win.