Ask a Priest: What is a good way for the entire family to observe Lent this year?

One of the beauties of our wonderful and true Roman Catholic faith is the number of devotions we have. As Catholics, we can sanctify the day, week, or month by making special observances. On Feb. 17, we will observe Ash Wednesday.

One good way to make the Lenten penitential observances a family affair is to “sanctify the month.” Each month can be dedicated to a particular virtue or devotion. From My Prayer Book, written by Father F.X. Lasance, copyright 1908, there is a section encouraging Catholics to “practice a particular devotion.”

For February, one of the devotions available is to the Holy Family. Certainly, a family can practice this devotion throughout Lent if they wish. Here’s how: take time to come together as a family once daily to pray and also to teach and learn something about our Catholic faith. Study the Catechism and/or the Bible; pray the Rosary (or a decade); pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or a Litany; pray one or several Psalms; or pray a group of favorite prayers together throughout Lent. It’s one way a family can grow in holiness and fulfill the obligation to pray, fast, and give alms during Lent.

Our greatest example in carrying this out is, of course, Jesus Christ. His foster-father St. Joseph and his mother the Blessed Virgin Mary taught Jesus the Jewish faith and Jewish Law. Joseph and Mary themselves obeyed and learned it and obeyed God’s admonition in Deuteronomy, “…be very careful not to forget the things your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart as long as you live, but make them known to your children and to your children’s children, that day you stood before the Lord, your God, at Horeb, when the Lord said to me: ‘Assemble the people for me, that I may let them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me as long as they live in the land and may so teach their children’” (Deut. 4:9-10).

Jesus learned well the Jewish law. We know this from his temptation in the desert. Satan tempted Jesus to change stones into bread in order to satisfy his physical hunger. Jesus answered Satan: It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:4). Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3. Jesus uses the Law to defeat Satan’s temptation by refusing to use his divine power to benefit himself. Jesus will accept whatever God wills. When Satan tempts Jesus to throw himself off the parapet of the Temple to impress the crowd, Jesus refuses: “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matt. 4:7). Jesus quotes the Law again written in Deuteronomy 6:16-17. And finally, when Satan tempted Jesus to prostrate himself and worship the Tempter, Jesus answers “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve’” (Matt. 4:10).

The footnote of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 4 says “The worship of Satan to which Jesus is tempted is probably intended to recall Israel’s worship of false gods. Jesus’ refusal is expressed in these words: “The Lord, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve, and by His name you shall swear” (Deut. 6:13). And all of this stems from the great Hebrew Shema Yisra’el: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our god, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength” (Deut. 4:4-5). Then, here come verses six and seven: “Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut. 4:6-7). If you continue reading in the Book of Deuteronomy, God tells the Israelites numerous times to teach their children the Law, so they can keep God’s favor and enjoy prosperity and peace in the Promised Land God will give them.

Teaching and praying. These are two ways individuals and families can grow in holiness and in intimacy together with God the Father, and His Only-Begotten Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ this Lent. We can use the wonderful example of devotion to the Holy Family for this month of February and throughout Lent. We can know, love, and serve God better by family prayer and study of our beautiful Catholic faith. It is a good way to strengthen ourselves against Satan’s temptations and become lights of Jesus Christ. Have a holy and happy Lent.