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  • Living in Communion With God And Neighbor: Thoughts on the Greatest Commandment

    Living in Communion With God And Neighbor: Thoughts on the Greatest Commandment

    Woman comforting man on the road
    Photo by Gerardo Javier Juarez Martinez

    A deacon at my church once shared a metaphor from earlier Christian times that can be traced back to the sixth-century monk and hermit, Dorotheos of Gaza. It goes like this: Think of a wheel or circle. (In our modern times, we can think of a bicycle wheel.) Imagine the spokes of the wheel. As the spokes travel from the outside tire towards the hub in the center of the wheel, they necessarily get closer to one another. In this metaphor, the center of the wheel is God and the spokes are each of us on our own path to God. It does not matter at what point on the circumference you start, as one continues on their journey to the center, one must get closer and closer to other people on their own paths. 

    RELATED: Loving Your Neighbor When It’s Hard

    This metaphor reminded me of the Gospel story in which Jesus is asked, ”What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus responds with not one, but two commandments: to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). 

    I don’t quite remember the first time I heard this teaching. It was likely when I was a kid at Mass or at the Catholic elementary school I attended. Now, reflecting on it as an adult, I see that Christ is expressing the bond that exists between how we treat others and how we love God. 

    Keeping this teaching in mind has helped me view others I encounter with more compassion, seeing Christ in them and having a better understanding of how we are all made in God’s image. This includes everyone from my own family and friends, to my co-workers, to strangers I see out at, say, the grocery store. To embrace Christianity is to live a life striving for God, which in turn requires us to work to increase our love for our neighbors. 

    RELATED: A Practical Guide to Loving Your Enemies

    Jesus met many people throughout various walks of life, treating them with love, and calling them to turn their hearts toward love. I often think about the choice I have each time I interact with someone, especially if I’m not in the greatest mood. I can choose to let my bad mood take over and come across as insensitive and contemptuous, or I can work to overcome it to be more thoughtful and humble. I don’t always choose the latter. 

    However, I try to remember that not only is it best practice to treat others with kindness and respect for their own sake, but also that my actions reflect how I express my love for God on a day-to-day basis. As Servant of God Dorothy Day poignantly put it, “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” The call to love your neighbor as yourself is not always easy, and I have certainly not lived this out in all (or likely most) interactions I have had with others. Still, striving towards virtue and attempting to live more in line with Jesus’ teachings with each successive day is an integral part of the Christian life. 

    HOMILY: Two Inseparable Loves: Reflection on the Greatest Commandment

    Part of my attempt to live out Jesus’ teaching has been trying to be more active and deliberate in the use of my time. This has meant getting more involved in the ministries at my parish, such as the food pantry and the refugee resettlement program. I have also tried to live out God’s love for others in my own family. Being there to help my kids when they have a problem, or simply to spend time playing games with them and sharing in their interests, being a devoted husband to my wife, doing chores around the house (even and especially when I’d rather do anything else) are all ways in which I can try and emulate Christ’s teachings in my life. 

    The beauty of the two-fold nature of the greatest commandment, to me, is that we are all given many, many opportunities to convey our love and gratitude to God through how we treat others. This can range from the time we spend with our family and friends to the mundane interactions we all have with strangers in our daily lives and everything in between. God calls us all to be in communion with him, and at the same time, to be in communion with each other. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it,” as it is written in the Book of Proverbs (3:27). Love is a gift God has freely given to all of mankind… and that is something I hope to keep in mind next time I see my neighbor.

  • Busted Halo’s Guide to Confession

    Busted Halo’s Guide to Confession

    From parables like the Prodigal Son and the Pharisee and the Publican, to Christ uttering the words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing,” before his death, we come to understand just how important seeking forgiveness is to our faith. 

    As Catholics, we are called to partake in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But for many, the confessional can be an intimidating place, and one that raises some questions. Why should we confess our sins to a priest, when we can pray to God and ask for forgiveness? 

    First of all, we absolutely should ask God for forgiveness whenever we are aware of any sin, no matter how small. But the Church teaches that certain sins that more severe than others. When committing these “mortal” sins, we not only break our bond with God, but we also break our bond with the entire community of faith that is the Body of Christ. So, when we participate in the Sacrament of Confession, we restore that bond between God and the community, since the priest both represents the community and acts as an intercessor between us and God.

    Even with all of this in mind, we’re still only human, and we have very human fears. Will the priest judge me? What if he scolds me the way my second-grade teacher did when I pushed that kid on the playground? Wait, how do I even make a decent confession? And what’s penance all about? Confession ought to be a liberating experience, and we can help you leave the confessional feeling strong and confident in your restored relationship with God and the community.

    Busted Halo has put together a Guide to Confession, which explains the Sacrament’s steps so you know what to expect. If it puts you at ease, feel free to print this guide and bring it with you to the confessional!

    Click here to download a printer-friendly version of this infographic.

     

    Busted Halo's guide to confession

    Other Confession Resources:

    So, You Want to Go to Confession

    Do you get sweaty palms just thinking about the Sacrament? These tips from one formerly reluctant confessor will help you prepare for your trip to the confessional and get rid of any jitters.

    Fatherly Advice: Going Back to Confession

    In this podcast from the Busted Halo Show, Father Dave encourages a listener, who had a negative experience with her first Confession, to return to the Sacrament.

    Is Confession Useful If I’m Not Sorry for All of My Sins?

    A listener struggles with the common dilemma of knowing that something is sinful and confessing it, but also wanting to live by his own rules. Father Dave prompts us to be honest about this in Confession, as doing so can help us to overcome such a struggle.

    Where in the Bible Does It Say One Must Go to Confession? 

    Ann Naffziger answers a reader’s question and explains that Saint Paul provides an excellent explanation as to why Confession is necessary to rebuild our relationship with God and the entire community of faith. 

    Bad at Confessing

    It’s common to head into the Confessional with preconceived notions. Even if your Confession isn’t quite what you expect, there’s still wisdom and healing to be gained. Vanessa Gonzalez Kraft shares that priests usually provide her with guidance, even if her Confession doesn’t go the way she imagined it in her head. 

  • Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Fridays?

    Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Fridays?

    Catholics are required to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and each Friday in Lent (including Good Friday). Fish is often used as a substitute for meat-based meals. But of course, with the popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets, there are many other solutions besides fish.

    Historically, since about the second century of Christianity, Christians abstained from eating meat on Fridays as a kind of sacrifice and reminder that acknowledged Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, which we commemorate on Good Friday. It’s also why we proclaim the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary on Friday. About a century or two later, Lent came into being, as a season of intense preparation for Easter, so the fasting and abstinence was extended to much of Lent.

    RELATED: Eating Meat on Fridays

    The Second Vatican Council simplified many Catholic customs and laws. There was too much of an emphasis on sin and sacrifice and some of the practices were rather involved. Many people believed that breaking Friday abstinence was a sin so serious it could land you in hell. They knew the whole thing had gotten out of hand.

    So the bishops preserved fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (meaning to eat only one full meal for the day and then to merely sustain yourself for the rest of the day — two smaller meals that do not equal the one large meal) and abstaining from meat on Fridays during the more penitential time of Lent.

    Some have said the bishops were in cahoots with the fishing industry, but there is little to no evidence to claim that as truth.

     

  • Art and Divine Beauty: An Antidote to the Winter Blues

    Art and Divine Beauty: An Antidote to the Winter Blues

    For those of us in the northern hemisphere, we have officially entered the dead of winter – that time after Christmas and New Year’s when the activities have waned and the bleakness of the February sky provokes our innermost melancholy. Even for those of us in milder climates, this time of year can be taxing socially and spiritually.  

    In winter, my body craves the comforting and familiar – butternut squash soup, a fuzzy blanket, and tea. This year, I’m also reminded that returning to works of art that I have come to love from museum visits, art history classes, and personal discovery can help my soul get the dose of beauty it needs to thrive in the cold.

    RELATED: Lessons From the Midwinter Blues

    I want to note that not all art is beautiful. There is a plethora of media that can be described as art but can also tarnish our spirits and relay harmful messages. At the same time, secular art can also transmit beauty and afford us glimpses of God in our everyday life.  

    When I go to the Art Institute of Chicago, it is a necessity for me to visit the Contemporary Wing.  There are pieces there such as Jack Whitten’s Khee II that bring me comfort and excitement each time I visit. The work’s subtle colors and bleary lines, created by a multi-step method involving thin sheets of Japanese rice paper, evokes a monochromatic calmness and luminescent frenzy all at once. Becoming familiar with a piece of beauty – whether it be a painting, song, movie, or book – opens my heart to both connect with the piece and revitalize my own spirit.

    When I began graduate school, I struggled with transitioning to a new place where I didn’t have an immediate community. I started playing George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” every morning when I got dressed, and it soon became a natural part of my routine. Its whimsical rhythm imbued a buoyancy into my day that both soothed and energized me. Just like I sing along to the lyrics of my favorite songs, I began to recognize the phrases and melodies of “Rhapsody in Blue” in the same way. Like a phone call with a close friend who I haven’t seen in a while, listening to this song helps lighten whatever weight is on my heart.

    While this song uplifted me, art can also be a way of affirming our suffering and reminding us that we are not alone in it.

    RELATED: Picture This: Using Art As a Path to the Holy Spirit

    On a mantel in my house is a large painting of Jesus in Gethsemane that my parents got from a great-aunt when she passed away. It has a dark blue hue cast over ominous silhouettes of trees and a moon peeking through dark clouds. It depicts Jesus as the focal point, looking over Jerusalem in profile with an expression of loneliness and anxiety, the impending destiny evident in his solitude. I can see resigned desperation on his face as he fears what is to come, the vast landscape swallowing up his gaze.  

    This painting is in a room where I often work on my writing. At first glance, the image is jarring and makes me want to look away, to avoid the pain Jesus was feeling so that I prevent similar feelings from arising in myself. The visceral reaction that art can provoke is key to recapturing our humanity when life becomes monotonous. Seeing this painting on a regular basis may alleviate the intensity of such a response, but I think it affords the opportunity to get over the initial shock and explore what is happening beneath the surface: What was Jesus feeling in this moment? Why did the artist choose such a somber scene? What prompted my great-aunt to obtain this painting? What was she going through at the time?  

    If I walked past this painting in a museum or a church, I would not be able to ponder these questions with the same intensity, turning to them over and over again with a new perspective each time. Becoming intimate with a piece of art not only establishes a connection with the themes and emotions illustrated in the work, but also with the artist and patrons who made the piece come to be. 

    RELATED: Art and Adoration: How Artwork Opens My Eyes to God’s Handiwork

    Sometimes I find myself thinking about what the expression on Jesus’ face means in the painting, the nuances of melancholy, grief, and acceptance. Other times I think about the artist and my great aunt, and the experiences that led them to create and obtain the painting.  This interconnectedness in turn causes me to think about the audiences that my own creative endeavors might reach, and what emotional circumstances may draw them toward my articles.

    In his Letter to Artists, St. Pope John Paul II wrote, “Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence. It is an invitation to savor life and to dream of the future.” I don’t need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on paintings or sculptures to grow this kind of intimacy with a piece of art. I can save a painting on your phone lock screen, or print it out and post it next to my bathroom mirror. Regardless of the mode, infusing art into my daily life invites me to elevate my most mundane experiences. Art helps me engage with my own humanity, unearthing the beauty that may seem muffled by the dreariness of a mid-winter landscape.

    Originally published January 30, 2023.

  • A Busy Person’s Guide to Lent

    A Busy Person’s Guide to Lent

    Lent is a wonderful time to slow down and take stock, a special time for fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. But adding just one – much less all three – additional activities into our busy, over-scheduled lives can feel like a huge challenge. Between my full-time job, my part-time job, helping my son with homework, and having dinner with my family, some days I’m hard-pressed to find even 15 minutes of unaccounted for time.

    Still, though, I feel called to make the most of the Lenten season this year, and I know that giving up something, giving to something, and giving of myself in prayer are the best ways to do that. But how can I add any of that to my schedule when I rarely have time for lunch away from my desk? I’ve found that the key is giving up adding things in. Instead, the trick is to rethink the time I already have.

    Maximize your morning

    Think your morning shower is only good for getting you cleaned up for the day? Or that your first cup of coffee is merely an energy boost? Repurpose your regular routine in one of these creative ways:

    • Sometimes I’m barely conscious when I stumble into the shower in the mornings. That’s when I like to use traditional prayers I’ve known all my life. Beginning my morning with a couple Our Fathers and Hail Marys allows the words and their meaning to work on me without effort and sets the tone for the rest of my day.
    • Bring an intention to your morning while you’re getting ready for the day and offer it up in prayer. Saying something simple like, “May this day bring me closer to you,” or “May I serve you and others faithfully today” can transform morning grogginess into a more peaceful, positive embrace of the new day.
    • Is picking up coffee on the way to work part of your morning routine? Brew a pot at home, save the money, and make a donation to charity or put it in a CRS Rice Bowl instead.
    • If a doughnut usually accompanies your morning coffee, try skipping it for a while. Although you’re not fasting completely, you are making a choice to do without something, which is the whole point of fasting in the first place.

    RELATED: I’m Not Catholic, But Lent Is Just What My Busy Soul Needs

    Leverage the lines

    Despite the advances in technology, we all still wait in lines – the carpool line, the check-out line, the drive-through line. Make it a goal to use the time you spend there in creative ways that support your spiritual journey:

    • Count your blessings. This never fails to improve my mood and reframe the way I think about the annoyance of being stuck in a line in the first place.
    • I also like to be honest with God and share my frustration. Sometimes, I’ll pray, “Ugh. I’m not in a good mood, Lord. Please teach me patience.” This has a way of moving me from my frustration to an acceptance of the present moment just as it is.

    RELATED: 2019 InstaLent Photo Challenge

    Tackle technology

    Many people believe that the internet and social media provide far more to distract us than center us. But using technology mindfully can be a nourishing Lenten practice:

    • When scrolling through social media, suspend your judgment of a comment or photo and instead pray for that person. A simple, “Grant her peace and joy,” is a great way to lift friends and acquaintances in prayer. And if the person is someone you have a hard time with, try praying, “Help me to be merciful as you are merciful.”
    • If you feel you should spend less time on social media but can’t seem to cut back, use it to support your Lenten “fast.” Set an alarm and allow yourself five minutes of mindless scrolling. Then when that time is up, use it for some creative “almsgiving.” You could clean out a closet and donate what you don’t need, call or write a note to someone who may be lonely, or email your legislators about a cause you believe in. You’ll find you won’t miss the time you gave up “liking” and “sharing.”
    • Consciously use your cell phone for prayer. Whether you’re looking for daily scripture readings, guided meditations, more traditional prayers, or contemplative music, there’s an app for that! You can also use the tools already on your phone. Try setting an alarm or calendar notification to remind you to stop what you’re doing and take time to pray. Or keep a list of prayer requests on your phone’s notepad.

    Making Lent a meaningful time of spiritual renewal doesn’t have to be difficult. We just need some creative thinking, an open heart, and the faith that everything – even the mundane routines of daily life – “work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28).

    Originally published February 26, 2018.

  • Why Do We Give up Something for Lent?

    Why Do We Give up Something for Lent?

    whey do we give up something for lentYou’re out with your friends on a Friday night and suddenly you notice that one of them has switched from his favorite microbrew to … lemonade? Is it time for Lent already? Giving up something for Lent sometimes evokes head-scratching in non-Catholics, but what might seem like just another Catholic eccentricity can actually be a practice with deep spiritual significance.

    RELATED: Busted Halo’s 2023 Lent Calendar

    Lent, the period of 40 days that precedes the celebration of Easter, has its origin in the early days of the Church. Converts seeking to become Christian, who at that time were mostly adults, spent several years in study and preparation. Under the threat of Roman persecution, becoming a Christian was serious business, so their process of preparation was intensive! Then they went through a final period of “purification and enlightenment” for the 40 days before their baptism at Easter. The rest of the Church began to observe the season of Lent in solidarity with these newest Christians. It became an opportunity for all Christians to recall and renew the commitment of their baptism.

    Today we know Lent as a season of conversion: We acknowledge the ways we have turned away from God in our lives, and We focus on turning our hearts and minds back toward God. Hence the three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These observances help us turn away from whatever has distracted or derailed us and to turn back to God. Giving up something for Lent is ultimately a form of fasting. We can deprive ourselves of some small pleasure or indulgence and offer that sacrifice up to God. Or we might “give up” a bad habit such as smoking as a way of positively turning our life back toward what God wants for us.

    RELATED: 7 Meatless Meals for Lent

    So maybe your mom was on to something when she had you give up Oreos or your favorite TV show as a child. An experience of want, however temporary, can help us to appreciate the true abundance in our lives. And a small positive change can have a big impact that lasts beyond the 40 days of Lent.

    Take the time now to think about what you might give up this year. Is it something you enjoy that you want to sacrifice for a while, like your daily latte? Or is it a bad habit you want to conquer, like running in late to meetings with co-workers? Or perhaps you want to turn your cell phone off for a few hours each day and not let it distract you from the loved ones you are with in real time? Find something that works for you, and whatever it is, may it help you to turn toward God in this holy season of Lent.

    Originally published February 17, 2017.

  • 2024 Fast‧Pray‧Give Calendar

    2024 Fast‧Pray‧Give Calendar

    Fast, pray, and give with us this Lenten season! Our digital Lent calendar shows every day of Lent and Holy Week but doesn’t let you “open” each day and find out what’s behind the picture until that day comes along. Each link will lead you to a special new Lent-themed Daily Jolt and Microchallenge!

  • What Do Lent and Valentine’s Day Have in Common? More Than You Think

    What Do Lent and Valentine’s Day Have in Common? More Than You Think

    Grey heart made of ash and dustAsh Wednesday and Valentine’s Day can seem like contradictions. One day celebrates romantic love, while the other reminds us that our bodies will one day turn into dust. This year, February 14 will be filled with both Cupid and ashes.

    Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season of repentance and the preparation for the holiest days of the Church year. I always find that the beginning of Lent comes up so fast that I do not spend enough time reflecting on how I should spend this season. My tendency towards the eleventh hour isn’t new – if I am honest, I also tend to buy my Valentine’s Day gift for my wife at the last minute as well. So this year, I want to make the start of Lent and Valentine’s Day more impactful by considering what they mean — together.

    RELATED: Why Ash Wednesday Isn’t a Downer

    This year’s simultaneous occurrence of these two important days on the calendar has been a fruitful coincidence for me because it prompted me to start thinking about the day sooner than I usually do. So often, I live in a state of distraction – going from one day to the next without being intentional about the coming days. Once I investigated the significance of Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday, I found that their alignment offers a powerful opportunity to see that love means that we die to ourselves. 

    St. Valentine was a priest (possibly a bishop) who lived during the third century. He was a man of tremendous faith. During his time, Emperor Claudius struggled to employ soldiers in his army. He thought this was because men would rather marry than serve him. So, Claudius outlawed marriages in order to spike the numbers in his army.

    In response, Valentine often married couples in secret so they could enter into the sacred bond of lifelong love together. When he was later imprisoned for doing so, he healed the jailer’s daughter of blindness, befriended her, and would often sign his letters to her, “your Valentine.” Valentine was eventually beheaded for his defiance of the emperor and died as a martyr of the faith. 

    LISTEN: Saints of Our Lives: St. Valentine

    Learning about the life of St. Valentine has compelled me to reflect on what I do for Valentine’s Day and how I approach the everyday aspects of my marriage. Specifically, how can I sacrifice more for my wife? Instead of viewing ordinary tasks as a simple responsibility, I have begun to see that doing the dishes or laundry after a long day of work can be an offering of love to her because she so often does them for me. Simply carving out time to write a letter to her on an ordinary day is another practice that I know will make our relationship more rooted in the sacrifice of St. Valentine. 

    Love costs us something: our time, our energy, our sacrifice and effort. Lent is meant to cost us small offerings so that we can gain further insight into Jesus’ sacrifice. That is why we receive ashes on the first day of Lent. I would argue that Valentine lived from the consciousness of his own ashes. He knew that to follow Jesus meant that his entire being would be an offering to God.

    This Lent, I know I am being invited to do something similar. So, rather than giving up ice cream and sweets, I want to be committed to sacrificing in ways that explicitly proclaim the love that motivates the sacrifice. This Valentine’s Day will be made up of no extravagant gifts; my wife and I have decided to make Lent an extended Valentine’s Day of sacrifices for each other. 

    RELATED: In Defense of the Lenten Sacrifice

    Just like making time to sacrifice for my wife, this Lent I want to make the sacrifice of waking up 15 minutes earlier each day to pray. I want to commit to being more present at Sunday Mass, especially during the reception of Holy Communion. I hope that these practices will be more concerned with loving Christ and less concerned with giving things up because that is “what you do during Lent.” 

    This Valentine’s Day, and Ash Wednesday, practice sacrificial love that continues throughout Lent. See that love is most pure when it acts out of intentional choices for the other. Then we will experience that St. Valentine and ashes truly belong together. 

  • 25 Great Things You Can Do for Lent

    25 Great Things You Can Do for Lent

    25-great-things-to-do-for-lentAsh Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the 40 days of preparation for the Easter season when Christians are called to deepen their spiritual lives through the practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. The belief is that our consistent participation in these practices — like exercise we do for our physical health — improves our spiritual well-being by stripping away all that is unnecessary and becoming more mindful of how God is working in our lives. Challenge yourself this year, and go beyond the usual practice of “giving up” something. Now is a great time to take stock of your spiritual life and to grow in it. Not sure where to start? Check out these 25 ideas:

    1. Make a commitment to read the Sunday scriptures before Sunday Mass. In the same way that reading up on football players, opposing teams, and coaching strategies will help you experience a game more fully, familiarizing yourself with the readings ahead of time will help you experience them in a deeper way on Sunday.

    2. Use Busted Halo’s Lent Calendar, filled with Lenten-themed Daily Jolts and MicroChallenges to find new ways to practice the disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Each day of Lent, we’ll offer an inspirational quote paired with a practical, challenging task that you can do that day to help keep your spiritual life on point. You can also find these challenges on our website, or when you follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

    3. Try a new spiritual practice. Sign up for an hour of Eucharistic Adoration. Experience Mass at a parish that’s made up of people from a different racial/ethnic group. Sign up for a silent retreat or spend at least one hour in silent meditation each weekend.

    4. Think about what you usually spend your money on. Do you buy too many clothes? Spend too much on dinner out? Pick one type of expenditure that you’ll “fast” from during Lent, and then give the money you would usually spend to a local charity.

    5. Take something on — 40 days of letter writing, 40 acts of kindness, 40 phone calls to the important people in your life.

    6. When you first sit down in front of your computer at work, or at the very end of your workday, try a 10-minute guided prayer from Sacred Space based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius.

    7. Go to (or watch) a weekday Mass one day during the week. Many parishes offer them early in the morning, at noon, or after work. Daily Masses are often more intimate and shorter than Sunday Mass.

    8. If you don’t have a cross in your apartment or house, buy a simple one and put it in your bedroom.

    9. Use Busted Halo’s InstaLent Photo Challenge for daily, creative doses of Lenten spirituality. Post a photo each day and encounter the themes of Lent on a visual, personal level.

    10. Instead of turning on a streaming service for your next binge-watching session, read the entire Gospel of Mark in one sitting. As the shortest Gospel, it is the most concise story of Jesus’ life, and the cross, a central Lenten symbol, plays an even more prominent role than in the other Gospels.

    11. Meditate with the Stations of the Cross. Many parishes offer these during Lent and often on Fridays. Or check out Busted Halo’s Virtual Stations of the Cross.

    12. Create your own Friday fish fry! Try this simple and delicious recipe. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but a fun Catholic tradition to help you abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent.

    13. Unplug from your iPhone or turn off your car radio on your commute. The silence may be jarring at first, but you may find that you are able to concentrate better and will be more observant of your surroundings.

    14. Buy a book of daily reflections and keep it by your bed. Local parishes often offer these for purchase during Lent, and there are some good ones available online. Try the Magnificat or a book by Edward Hays.

    15. Think about a habit that has kept you from being whom God is calling you to be. Consciously give up that habit for Lent.

    16. Spend at least one weekend or evening volunteering during Lent. If you feel comfortable volunteering in person, help package meals at your local soup kitchen or stock shelves at a food pantry. If you’d rather volunteer from home, reach out to your parish to see how your skills might help serve on of the church committees. 

    17. Make a commitment to fast from insensitive, cruel comments about others. So, no gossiping or going down the Twitter rabbit hole.

    18. Participate in a spiritual book club or small community of faith. Check out what’s already going on at your parish or pick a book and start your own.

    19. As a part of your Lenten almsgiving, make a point to learn more about a particular social issue (immigration, human trafficking, racism, the environment, public education, child poverty). Give money to an organization related to your chosen issue that supports the dignity of the human person.

    20. Tap into your creative side and try using coloring as a way to pray and meditate during Lent. Buy a coloring book or download a Lent calendar coloring page here.

    21. Use the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl to reflect on the realities of people in need around the world and devote prayers, fasting, and almsgiving to changing the lives of the poor. The money raised by CRS Rice Bowl supports not only the prevention of hunger and poverty in countries like Kenya, Vietnam, and Honduras, but also  in the United States. (Twenty-five percent of all donations stay in the local diocese where they are collected.) For your Lenten Fridays, CRS Rice Bowl also features meatless recipes from cultures around the world. 

    22. Pray for somebody. As you’re walking the streets, driving the highways, or waiting for a meeting to start, pick out a person who appears to be in need and pray for that person. Be mindful of the words of philosopher Philo of Alexandria, who said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”

    23. Get to know your neighbors. Introduce yourself, plan a dinner, or bring food to an older person on your block.

    24. Read the Works of Mercy as Jesus describes them in Matthew 25:31-46. Then put this teaching into practice and choose an act of service you can perform throughout Lent.

    25. Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Can’t remember how? Here’s a simple guide with some tips. Tell the priest it’s been a while, and ask him to guide you through it.

  • 2024 InstaLent Photo Challenge

    2024 InstaLent Photo Challenge

    Looking for a creative way to incorporate spiritual reflection into your daily routine this Lent? Our InstaLent photo challenge is back and better than ever!

    Join the Busted Halo InstaLent Photo Challenge throughout the season of Lent (until Easter). Lent is a time to reflect and draw closer to God, so we hope to do just that with the creative ideas for photo-sharing we’ll provide each day. Get ready, and get creative! Your Instagram feed is about to look a whole lot like Lent.

    How do you participate?

    • Share our InstaLent image (below) on Instagram so we know you are participating in the challenge.
    • Take a picture following the prompt for the day and write a brief reflection on what the photo and prompt mean to you. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #BHLent2024 in the caption, and tag or mention @bustedhalo in your posts!
    • If you’re not on Instagram, no worries! You can still participate in the fun by uploading your Lent photos to Twitter (X) or Facebook. Be sure to use the hashtag #BHLent2024 and mention @bustedhalo.

    Need an extra incentive? Every week, a few lucky participants will receive a gift card to the Busted Halo store!

    We can’t wait to see your photos! May your journey through Lent be an enriching experience.