This Lent, don’t let your spouses, children, parents, or siblings fall behind. Keep your family on track with Lent with these simple tips. From setting Lent goals to staying organized, you can make this a season to remember. So grab a cup of coffee and get ready to have your best Lent yet!
Decide as a family what you’re going to give up for Lent
Lent is a wonderful time to assess where your faith lies, and taking part in the age-old tradition of giving something up can be an excellent way for your family to do this. You might have all taken natural vows of abstaining from favorite foods or pastimes, but the real challenge comes when you decide your Lent plan as a family. Engaging with each other during this discussion can create moments of bonding and reflection, ultimately drawing you closer together as a unit of believers. Asking each family member to thoughtfully discuss an item of personal importance and why they believe it should be given up serves as a reminder that practicing the beliefs you hold dear strengthens them even more.
Make a list of activities that you can do together as a family during Lent
During the Lenten season, a great way for families to come together and grow closer is to find family Lent ideas that everyone can enjoy. Whether it’s baking, playing board games, or simply having dinner together, Lenten activities provide an opportunity for quality family time. Best of all, many of these activities can also help foster faith. Here are some Lent-centered activities you can do:
- Participate in Lenten prayer service together
- Attend church events like Stations of the Cross or special masses connected with Lent
- Discuss Lenten Bible passages during meals or while doing other activities together
- Take up individual spiritual disciplines, such as daily scripture readings, to encourage each other in their Lenten journey.
With so many possibilities available when planning family activities during Lent, families are sure to make lasting memories while deepening their understanding and appreciation of their religious devotion.
Set aside time each day to pray together as a family
Praying as a family may seem daunting at first, but when done regularly, it can bring families closer together. Making time each day to pause and offer up prayers and thanksgiving is an enriching task that the whole family should take part in. Make it fun, too! It doesn’t have to be a strict time—keep things loose and inviting in your home, so everyone feels encouraged to participate. Setting aside even a few minutes daily to pray will have ripple effects on all aspects of your family life: it will keep communication open, deepen bonds between members, provide calm understanding during stressful times, and help build a closer relationship with God. So take some time today: get the entire family together, bow your heads in prayer, and ask for God’s blessings.
Give up something that everyone in the family can enjoy, like soda or TV
Giving up something everyone in the family enjoys for a set amount of time can be a fun way to challenge yourself and your loved ones! Whether it’s soda, TV, or something else, setting a goal of complete abstinence for a short period of time can be both fun and rewarding. This is especially true if the whole family agrees to join in on the challenge together. It creates an experience of collective growth and strengthens ties between family members. Taking on these kinds of goals can make life much more exciting and engaging – who knows what you’ll discover when the challenge is complete!
Spend time each day talking about your faith as a family
Taking time each day to have meaningful conversations about faith as a family is important. It creates a shared understanding of values and encourages each person to develop a strong and personal relationship with their own faith. By having these talks, families can share stories from the Bible, activities, questions and ideas that promote a deeper understanding of the Bible. This practice also allows families to come together and build an atmosphere of understanding regardless of age and experience. Taking this time regularly can help strengthen the bond between family members while everyone grows in their own religious beliefs.
Attend mass together on Sundays and holy days of obligation
Attending mass together on Sundays and holy days of obligation is an excellent opportunity to think deeply, pray with one’s community, and spend quality time with those the family holds dear. Gathering each week reminds us how grateful we are to be part of a congregation, believing in the same faith and trusting one another. It also provides great conversation topics as families discuss what was heard at mass or ask each other questions about related themes they learned in their faith formation courses. Furthermore, attending mass can inspire families to actively live out the values of their faith throughout the week. With an attitude of kinship among the believers who come together in unity, occasions such as these can have a profound effect that lasts beyond those days spent praising God in communal prayer – creating lasting relationships between family members and strengthening our shared beliefs.
It can be daunting trying to come up with ideas for your family to do together during Lent, but it’s important to remember that Lent is a time for growth. You don’t have to undertake some massive project—small daily traditions can make a big difference. Pick one or two things from our list and see how they work for you and your family.
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