Fasting

Plans for Lent + Hallow Review

Published on February 27, 2025 by KateLeave a comment

As is typical for this time of year, it’s good to share about what some of my plans are for Lent. Not only will this help keep me accountable to them, but I have found a good many ideas for how to observe the season by hearing how others plan to pray, fast, and give alms.

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I’m on the fence about this first one, which probably means it would be a good idea to give it a shot. In a Focolare women’s group meeting last month, we were talking about communication and especially social media use. A few ideas were shared about how to make our phones less attractive and it was a really interesting conversation. Our phones are brightly colored and everything about them is designed to make them appealing. The apps we engage with utilize all kinds of methods that foster addictive behaviors, consistently and constantly drawing us back to their content. While I know giving up social media or a specific app is a popular Lenten observance, there were a few other ideas shared that I’m considering.

Turn your phone to black and white mode. Our brains are wired to be attracted to bright colors. I know for me, I don’t even read the names under the app icons, I’m looking for the picture or color associated with the app. So, if we turn off the colors, we will have to be more intentional in order to even find what we are looking for. Then, once we are in the app, it’s actually rather dull. The same exact content we looked at the day before is less catchy, less interesting, less “scroll worthy.”
Turn off all (or nearly all) notifications. Do I really need to know when someone posts on Instagram? What about the little red numbers that show something is waiting for me on Facebook?
Removing the social media apps. This doesn’t mean necessarily taking a break from them, just making it harder to get to because of the extra steps required to get there. So, I would only access them through a web browser. Or, even further, I only access them on my computer, not on my phone.

Hallow

I am very excited for this one. I am going to be participating in the Pray40 challenge for adults on the Hallow app. I have not been disappointed by this program yet so I am confident this year will be another good one. In the past, I have tried to listen in the mornings when I’m getting ready for the day. The challenge this year will be timing, because I am already listening (also on Hallow) to a daily Gospel reflection that is usually about 10 minutes. Perfect for my typical morning routine. In past years, I’ve replaced this Gospel reflection time with the Pray40 content. However, I would very much like to continue with the Gospel reflections in addition to the Pray40 experience. So, it’s going to take some trial and error to see when will be the best time to listen consistently.

In addition to the Pray40 challenge, Hallow is going to be offering a kids’ Lenten content journey. They are calling it “The Little Way” and I’m very excited about it. Hallow actually reached out to me and asked if I would offer a review of the content which got me even more excited for it.

This series is going to be more than a series of prayers. The kids will be journeying along with Paul and Mia Buckley, two kids who are on a trip through France. We are going to get to experience their story while also meeting some pretty fabulous saints, hearing vocation stories, Sunday homilies, even a few family games. Of course, there are also going to be opportunities for prayer and reflection throughout the 40 days of Lent.

The Saints Alive podcast, the creators of The Little Way, provide truly immersive and thoughtful podcast episodes exploring the lives of the saints. Complete with a multitude of voices, sound effects, surprises, and applications for little lives, our family enjoys these episodes so much. I was very excited to hear that they were behind this new initiative of Hallow’s.

Disclaimer: It is important to remember that this experience, as well as Hallow’s Pray40 Lenten reflections for adults, are part of their premium content and are not available on the free version of the app.

The Plan

I know, you’re probably wondering where on earth we are going to find time to add this to our schedule. However, I have a plan. I recently saw on Corda Candle’s website a package of Lent-focused candles which I was delighted to find (Corda did not request this review or mention, I just love their candles and these are going to fit so well with my Lenten plans). I don’t know about your kids, but mine find candles fascinating. It draws everyone in, even for a few minutes, and can really help focus a few minutes of quiet. As an added bonus, these candles are beautifully scented. We had one that we used for our prayer time over the Christmas season and not a day went by that we forgot because everyone loved the smell and looked forward to lighting it. I am hoping for a repeat experience.

My plan is to light one of the candles in the middle of the table, and then we will listen to our episode during lunchtime. My kids usually read during lunch because they can’t seem to survive without a book in front of them. With this plan, we are going to offer the sacrifice of a few minutes of free reading time to listen together.

The past few years now I’ve chosen to do a full fast on all of the Fridays during Lent, not only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. I’m thinking I’ll do this again, though I’m praying about my motivation for doing it. It isn’t easy to be sure, but it is familiar. Am I choosing this fast because of its familiarity, like someone who habitually gives up chocolate because it’s just what they do without much thought put into why, or because I’m avoiding considering alternatives God could be calling me to? I have some time yet to discover the answer.

These are some of my ideas for Lent this year. What will you be doing? I hope that you discover the practices God is calling you to work with this Lent that will draw you closer to His merciful love.

A New Idea for Lent 2022

Published on February 24, 2022 by Kate2 Comments

Lent is fast approaching even though it is starting so late this year! It has been quite a while since Ash Wednesday hasn’t been in February. For anyone else who is suddenly realizing that February is practically over, Ash Wednesday is on March 2, less than a week away.

The past few years I have written full length Lenten reflection journals. The Lenten journals primarily focus on praying with the ancient practice of Lectio Divina. This year, in full transparency, I was stuck. I didn’t know what to write, I didn’t feel inspired and I was struggling with what God was asking me to say, or not say. Around and around I went until Ben pulled me aside and asked what on earth was the matter with me. It took a while to find the words to express my frustration and desires. It was so good to talk to him about the problem and together, I think we found a good solution.

There is no journal this year. I am sorry for anyone who was looking forward to a new journal. The old ones are still available, still free and, hopefully, still relevant to your Lenten journey if you wish to use them. There is a new page at the top of the home page where all the Lenten journals can be found just like the Advent ones.

This isn’t to say that there won’t be some new and exciting Lenten content coming your way. While a whole new journal was overwhelming, a dedicated weekly newsletter felt much more doable and as Ben and I talked, a theme settled in my heart and I found so much peace. This is where God wanted me to focus this year.

Starting on Ash Wednesday, and then each Sunday of Lent following, there will be a post here asking you to consider one room or space in your home. How is it functioning? What purpose does it serve? What spring cleaning needs to happen here to make it a flourishing space that works in your family? Next, we will translate that physical space into a spiritual one. I help you to consider your spiritual “home” – the make up of your soul and its relationship with God. How does this aspect of your “spiritual home” work? What spring cleaning is needed? How can you spend some intentional time in this space of your spiritual life as we journey through Lent?

If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to sign up to receive an email each time I post new content. This way, you won’t miss any of these Lenten updates!

As many of you know, Ben is in the Air Force. We are thankful that he is presently home with us as the world continues to respond to the actions of Russia in Ukraine. As the situation continues to unfold, I would be grateful for your prayers for our military members and their families. Pray for their leaders, and their leaders leaders. Let us join Pope Francis’ prayer for peace:

“And now, I would like to appeal to everyone, believers and non-believers alike. Jesus taught us that the diabolical evil of violence is answered with the weapons of God, with prayer and fasting,”
“I invite everyone to make next March 2, Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting for peace. I encourage believers in a special way to devote themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war.”
Pope Francis, General Audience, Feb. 23, 2022

Choosing our Feelings & A New Method of Fasting

Published on February 10, 2021 by Kate1 Comment

Lent is on the way. I know this because my fingers have been frantically typing to finish up the Lenten Lectio Divina journal for this year. It ought to be ready and posted by this weekend, so for anyone who is looking for it, it’s on the way!

I had a revelation a few days ago that I wanted to share. A little update first. As I sit here typing, I am almost 35 weeks pregnant with #6. My sister-in-law and I have been walking the pregnancy journey together, which has been so much fun. She, however, is a bit further along than I am and that day I spent thinking she was at the hospital getting ready to meet her first child. I was so happy for my brother and his wife. This is their first baby and has been a long journey. Pregnancy and pandemic are not the easiest combination.

And yet, while I was genuinely happy and excited for them, I felt off all day. I blamed it on ligament pain, general pregnancy stuff, etc. But as I woke up the following morning (it turned out I had it wrong and this was the day of the inducement) I was struck by this rather ugly thought:

“Yesterday I was jealous that she was going to have her baby and I’m not there yet.”

It hit me hard too. All day, I was harboring this jealously so tightly within me that it’s tendrils reached out to effect my entire day. I wasn’t patient, I struggled with motivation, I didn’t even want to cook dinner or plan out the meals for the week because it involved too much work. I felt exhausted even though I hadn’t done much. I was frustrated with myself for my failings and that surely didn’t do anyone in the house any good.

Because of this revelation, the actual day of the birth of my very first nephew, was noticeably different. I still had the same ligament pain, same pregnancy stuff. But I acknowledged this struggle I am having, prayed about it and it makes all the difference. While writing this, two of the girls asked me to play a game with them. I very much wanted to get it finished this afternoon during the few precious hours of quiet time while Gabriel, now 18 months, is asleep. The day before, I would have probably snapped at them for interrupting me and sent them to play on their own. This day, I closed my laptop and played Go Fish.

Instead of letting my jealously rule me, I chose to rule it.

Any program for addiction will tell you that you have to own the feelings and thoughts you are having. You have to acknowledge you need help, that you can’t go it alone. By naming how we are feeling, we are acknowledging the feelings for what they are. From that place, we can choose to indulge them, dismiss them, or change them. I am so thankful that God revealed to me my jealous heart so that I could greet my new nephew with a heart full of joy and love.

With Lent coming up, this is a great time to consider what feelings we are ruling, and which ones we are allowing to rule us. What actions or activities do we feel we cannot live without, and what can we let go of without too much complaint?

Since the start of the year, I have been trying something new. Instead of one big New Year’s resolution (which I usually fail at by now) I have chosen a weekly fast that changes with each week. Sundays are “off” days and simultaneously discernment days. No fasting, but discerning the upcoming week to see what I will be fasting from. Some things I’ve fasted from already include:

Desserts
Instagram
Social media scrolling (I check in once a day because important announcements for Ben’s squadron are often posted on Facebook but I did not allow myself to sit and scroll the newsfeeds)
Games on my phone

I have repeated a few and have found some to be harder than others. Desserts were hard all week long and I found myself reluctant to bake anything because I couldn’t have it. This is something to work on for sure since my whole family wasn’t fasting from dessert, just me. Social media wasn’t as hard as I expected, though I did notice that I just played more solitaire or word searches so it wasn’t necessarily a reduction in screen time. I plan to fast at some point from using my phone after the kids are in bed, like a digital sunset if you’ve heard of that. This week happens to be phone games and I am noticing a reduction in screen time. There’s only so much Instagram scrolling I’m willing to do, which is new information for me about my phone tolerances and habits.

Usually for Lent we choose one thing to fast from. I’d like to offer an alternative, especially if you were planning on fasting from something you habitually do each year, like pop or chocolate. Take some time and look at your calendar for Lent. What might you fast from each week that would bring either meaningful change to that week, or could reveal meaningful information about you, your habits and feelings? Maybe you only pick two things and switch back and forth (there are 6 weeks including Holy Week so you would fast an even number of times). Each time you revisit the fast you could tweak it, adjust it, so that you continue to grow and stretch yourself. Here’s an example:

Week 1: Fast from saying “I want.”

Week 2: Fast from chocolate.

Week 3: Continue your fast from Week 1 and include delayed gratification practices. If there is something you want to do, buy, eat, etc., wait a specific amount of time before doing the activity (Personally, I would not count main meals in the “I want” category.)

Week 4: Continue your fast from Week 2 and include no desserts of any kind.

Week 5: Continue your fast from Weeks 1 and 3. Challenge yourself to fast from whatever was the hardest thing to wait for in the previous weeks.

Week 6: Continue your fast from Weeks 2 and 4. Challenge yourself to eat no dessert or snack between meals.

Do you see how the fasts grow upon one another, building your stamina over the course of the whole Lenten journey? This is just one idea of course, there are so many good practices and methods of fasting.

What are you planning on fasting from? What do you think of the idea of trying a gradually building fast over the course of Lent?

Don’t forget, the free Lenten Lectio Divina journal for this Lent will be out by this weekend! This is a totally free resources to download, please feel free to share the blog post link when it is up.

Screens

Hallow

The Plan

Fasting

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