Lenten sacrifice

By now, I suppose most of us have asked or have been asked, “What are you giving up for Lent?” It’s a popular topic in Catholic circles, within Catholic families, among friend groups and even among priests. 

The question gets at the heart of our Lenten practice: sacrifice. 

For Catholics, indeed, for all Christians, sacrifice is at the heart of worship. In the sacrifice of the Mass, we worship the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. But, Saint Paul also urges us, “by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1).

Our Lenten sacrifice must be ordered to this true worship “in spirit and truth,” to which Jesus calls us. A common distortion in Lent is focusing on the sacrifice itself, not placing it within the broader context of our relationship with God the Father and one another. 

Giving up something should reveal an emptiness – experienced by those of us who often have more than we need – and should open our eyes to see the needs of others and the presence of God always with us.

Allow me to suggest three specific needs for which you can offer your Lenten sacrifice this season.

First, the season of Lent is properly set aside for catechumens, those preparing for baptism. In the Ancient Church, those who were to be baptized at Easter fasted for a time before their full initiation, and the community of believers joined them in their fast to prepare for the outpouring of grace. The Church still journeys with catechumens preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil as they engage in a period of purification and enlightenment. We should keep these in mind as we pray, fast and give alms, our sacrifices for catechumens around the world. 

In the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, we have more than 700 catechumens preparing for baptism and candidates who will be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. We met and welcomed them at the Rite of Election at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine on the First Sunday of Lent. 

I encourage you to join me in prayer for them this Lent. We can expand this intention and offer our Lenten sacrifices for the thousands of children who will be confirmed or receive first communion during this Lenten season and upcoming Easter season, for the two young men I will ordain to the priesthood this summer, and for the 20 men I will ordain as permanent deacons this fall.

Second, I suggest we offer our Lenten sacrifices and prayers for the many who are affected by wars and violent conflict around the world. The news tends to focus on the serious international conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, but we know there are many more violent conflicts around the world. 

Civil wars in Myanmar and Sudan, territorial disputes in Asia and the Middle East, criminal violence in Mexico, and political instability in countless countries around the world are affecting hundreds of millions of people. 

While we may not be able to stop wars ourselves, we can offer our sacrifices in prayer with the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke?” (Is 58:6) 

Our sacrifices become a testament to our faith in the Resurrection, which leaves no room for violent disputes over worldly goods. We pray that those who perpetrate such injustices and violence will see the true good revealed by Jesus in His Paschal Sacrifice.

Finally, I encourage you to call to mind your own family and friends. Who among them needs an outpouring of the spirit of repentance and the grace of conversion? We especially should remember these loved ones during the season of Lent. They are the ones who have wandered far from God or who have been led away from Him by the temptations of the world, the flesh or the devil. 

The Easter celebration for which we are preparing proclaims that Jesus Christ is the victor over sin and death. The power of the Holy Spirit is transformative and can soften even the most hardened hearts. 

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus pleads for all those who the Father has given him: “I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (Jn 17:24). We offer our Lenten sacrifices in union with that prayer of Jesus, that none of those who have been given to him will be lost.

As Easter draws near, we ask Mary our Mother to bring to mind throughout this season those who benefit from our sacrifices. May Christ be praised, worshiped and adored by all who sacrifice during this Lenten season.