I love Lent. When I say this, some people may think that I have a twisted affection for pain and suffering. I do not! The disciplines of Lent do involve self-denial, but these acts of penance and almsgiving, as well as our greater commitment to prayer, are liberating. They are directed toward renewal. Lent is the liturgical season which highlights the call to repentance and ongoing conversion more clearly than any other. It is the time to prepare ourselves with the Church for the celebration and experience of new life at Easter.

This renewal is expressed most clearly during the Easter Vigil at the celebration of Baptism and the sacraments of initiation with the catechumens who have responded to the Lord’s call to membership in the Catholic Church. Throughout Lent, they have reflected more deeply on God’s word, prayed with us and, after learning our beliefs and way of life, they commit themselves to follow the way which the Church proposes: the way of Christ.

During Lent, we baptized members of the Church make this journey in faith with them and prepare to renew our own commitment to Christ and our explicit renunciation of sin at the Easter liturgy.

If we are truly seeking a deeper conversion to Christ, we would be shortsighted to take on penances and disciplines during Lent simply to discard them at Easter. Unfortunately, that is often the way we approach this penitential season. The most fruitful Lenten disciplines will focus on where the Lord is calling us to deeper conversion and repentance in our lives.

In other words, it is not primarily about what legitimate pleasure we should “give up” during Lent but about what sin in our life do we need to repent so that we can follow Christ more faithfully. What relationships need to be repaired, improved or ended? What bad habits need to be broken? What virtues (good habits) need to be strengthened? Our acts of fasting, almsgiving and our prayer open us to God’s grace so that we can strengthen our resolve to follow Christ more closely.