The Best-Laid Plans

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. We layout the best plans for our Lenten journey. We seek to approach Easter having undergone a well thought out and executed routine of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

If you are like me, this does not always go as planned. In fact, you may have completely fallen off of your well-laid plans and think your Lent is over. What if you only have a week left? What if you have a month left? What if it is literally the day after Ash Wednesday? What happens when Lent goes wrong?

First of all, we have to get this phrase out of our vocabulary. Lent cannot go wrong. Lent is there as a gift from God to restore harmony within our souls. It can also establish peace and harmony in our soul if it was lacking to begin with.

Our Lenten penances are built upon prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is important to discern how to exercise these during Lent (and beyond), but it is never too late during Lent to add or subtract practices. First, we need to examine why we are doing these penances.

Why Do We Do Penances?

Lenten practices heighten our awareness of God and allow God’s grace to penetrate our heights and minds more readily. So, it is important to be consistent. This is where most folks fall off the plan and stay off the plan. If we waver in our Lenten practices, there are three options: abandon course, alter course, or get back on course.

Three Options – Abandon, Alter, Acknowledge

Abandoning course is not an option for the Christian. No matter how difficult like gets and no matter how much we are suffering, Christ is there to share the burden. He does not tell us, “Be complacent and you will be happy.” Instead, He tells us to take up our cross, follow Him, and live the radical life of the Beatitudes.

We can alter course slightly. We can perhaps work on only a few disciples and try to really commit to them before adding more. The spirit is often willing, but the flesh is weak. This is not an excuse to stop pressing on. Instead, it is the realization that we should challenge ourselves, but we should do so by entering by the narrow stream taking one step at a time, rather than diving headlong into the ocean.

The third option is actually the first one to try. We must acknowledge where we have not lived up to our commitments. Instead of letting this define our Lent or cause us to despair, we simply get back on course. We ask God for the grace to begin again.

The Welcome at Every Start

Proverbs 24:16 says this: “… for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).” This very wise teaching tells us that the Christian life is a long-distance run, not a short sprint. We may fall several times (read: thousands of times), but we are always invited by God’s grace to get back up and try again.

There is a beautiful line in the Mumford and Sons song “Roll Away Your Stone” that encapsulates this reality. I think it also works well for a spiritual reminder during Lent and for our entire lives, really. The line goes like this: “It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart, but the welcome I receive with every start.”

It is inevitable that we will fall. It is part of our fallen human nature to be inclined to sin, to be weaker than we want to be, and to fail. However, God never fails. He never fails in extending His hand to lift us back up and get us back on course. Never be discouraged if you are clinging to God. And if you are distracted for a time, then simply allow God’s grace to give you a renewed focus.

Lent Resources

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  Women’s Catholic Study: The Chosen Season 2
  Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn  Women’s Catholic Study: The Chosen Season 2  Begins October 8th | 8:00 PM (EST) | Via Zoom Step into the world of The Chosen Season 2 and experience Jesus’ ministry like never before. This women’s Catholic study is designed to lead you deeper into prayer, healing, and intimacy with Christ as we explore His encounters with others — and what… Read more: Women’s Catholic Study: The Chosen Season 2
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  5 Things You Can Do To Show Your Priest You Appreciate Him
  Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn The work our priests perform in “shepherding the flock” is extensive and often taken for granted. The vocation extends far beyond Sunday and daily Mass, weddings, baptisms, spiritual direction, funerals, and myriad blessings, among other things. The church we visit each week, or perhaps only occasionally, has many facets within… Read more: 5 Things You Can Do To Show Your Priest You Appreciate Him
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  How Can You Offer Your Mass For An Intention? 3 Helpful Tips
  Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn I met Andy on a recent Mariam pilgrimage to Spain, France, and Portugal. He had a pleasant personality and a terrific sense of humor. I became more and more aware from talking with him that he was fighting some serious health issues. Over breakfast one morning that our group was… Read more: How Can You Offer Your Mass For An Intention? 3 Helpful Tips
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  Mary, Undoer Of Knots: How Our Mother Helped Me Heal My Marriage And Find My (little v) Vocation
  Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn You can find images of Mary throughout my day  – tiny figurines on my bookshelves, a TinySaint keychain on my bag, a fun sticker on my laptop or Stanley cup, and even Marian images in my phone camera roll that I stumbled upon and loved.  I’ve heard that many converts… Read more: Mary, Undoer Of Knots: How Our Mother Helped Me Heal My Marriage And Find My (little v) Vocation
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  The Forgotten Half Of Rerum Novarum
  Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Like many, I became interested in learning more about Rerum Novarum, the encyclical known as the foundation of modern Catholic Social Teaching, when our new pope chose the new Leo. Leo XIV even explained to the College of Cardinals that his choice of name was mainly inspired by Leo XIII’s… Read more: The Forgotten Half Of Rerum Novarum