Active Membership Pillar: Faithful Participation at Sunday Mass and Holy Days

It’s Lent! While the somber messages of Lent make this less than a “fun” season, and we face the challenge of committing more time in our already busy lives to prayer, it also holds the promise of strengthening our faith as we double down and spend more time with Jesus. Forty days feels long, at least as one starts out on the Lenten journey, but in the big picture of life, forty days passes swiftly. Forty days of actionable faith practices hold the potential to strengthen these behaviors so much so that it may even stick with us long after we celebrate the resurrection. 

Our gospel this week is the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the desert for forty days. Time and again the devil tests Jesus’ faith and works to break His spirit and trust in God to be there with Him. Jesus’ resolve never falters.

What a perfect story to open our Lenten season. It reminds us that the devil is out there, every day, testing us, too. But despite this evilness that threatens to invade our lives, we are also reminded that if we have a strong relationship with God, He will hold us up too. He will be there to hold our hand, or even carry us, when we feel we cannot continue. 

Through prayer and spending time with God proclaiming His greatness, asking for His forgiveness and looking for His support and strength, we find that He is always there. What better place to strengthen our relationship with Him in prayer but at Sunday Mass, by taking a break from the busy lives we lead. Sit quietly, breathe deeply and connect with God.

If celebrating Sunday Mass isn’t always a priority, make this a Lenten promise. If you have never made daily Mass a priority, try that on for forty days. Spend an hour praying and strengthening your relationship with God. Surely you will find that snippet of time feels less like “one more thing” and perhaps even becomes something you cannot go without after forty days. See you at Mass!