In its most simplistic form, being a Christian means we follow Christ. We are called to live the love that Jesus gave us. Lent is a time to stop, evaluate and do a “spiritual course correction” if our path has gone in an unintended direction. It is a time to fix our gaze on the love Christ has for us and the love of God for sending us Jesus. Lent is a time to pray, fast and give alms so that we might reflect the Christ’s love in all that we do.

Blessings,
Heidi Busse

Loving God, during this precious time of Lent,
You call us to be reconciled.
Reconciled to one another,
Forgive us for the times we have been
impatient, unkind and inconsiderate.
Reconciled to all our brothers and sisters,
Forgive us for the times we could have cared
about those in need and thought only of ourselves.
Reconciled to you,
Forgive us for the times we didn’t put You first.

Loving God, help us to make this Lent a time of peace-filled reconciliation.
Amen.

In the Catholic Church, Lent is a very special season of “getting ready.” We are called during this time to make ourselves ready to celebrate the greatest mystery of our faith – the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because this mystery is so central to our faith, it’s important that this special time of year be accessible to Catholics of all ages. Lent is also a time when we are called to stop and allow the Christian mystery to touch our daily lives once again. It’s easy for us to get into our everyday routines and forget that Christianity is not just about what we do on Sunday mornings, but how we live each moment. A proper experience of Lent in the home depends upon the ages and developmental levels of each family member, but centers around three basic Christian practices – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Click here for an age-by-age guide to celebrating Lent at home.

In the early 1960s, more than 5.2 million students attended nearly 13,000 Catholic schools nationwide. From then on, the numbers of schools and students dropped continually. According to the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), by 1990, approximately 2.5 million students were enrolled in 8,719 schools. Most seriously affected were the elementary schools, particularly in large urban areas where nearly one-third have closed since 2003.

Discover six U.S. schools that, in the past five years, have succeeded, whether through regional collaborations or new ideas. As such, they are beacons of light in the commitment to Catholic education.

Read the article from the Jan. 26 issue of OSV Newsweekly here