PRAYER:
By Deacon Eric Vilchis
During the Lenten season we are called to slow down and take time to reflect and meditate, as we prepare for the coming joy of Easter. The church, in its wisdom, knows that in order to truly appreciate that future joy, we need to look at ourselves and the lives we are living now, before we can put ourselves in a place where we will be open to and ready to receive the grace and joy of the Resurrection at Easter. This is the purpose of the Lenten season.
During Lent the Church prescribes three aspects for this preparation. They are fasting, almsgiving, and praying. The big secret however is this; all three are really forms of prayer. When we fast, we are supposed to stop doing something so we can use that time to pray more. Or when we stop doing something we know we will really miss doing, we are called to pray to God for the strength to endure the struggle we face when we miss doing it. Almsgiving can create a similar struggle that could require a request for strength. When we give, we are called to give until it hurts, not from our surplus, but from all that we have. This also may take some prayer, or a lot of prayer, to accomplish.
Prayer is communicating with God. Prayer is maintaining a relationship with God. Prayer is talking to and listening to God.
Did you ever have a really good friend who you shared everything with? Someone you could reach out to at any time to talk about anything for hours? Then, maybe you lost contact with them for a time? Maybe you moved or they moved or maybe you had a disagreement or even an argument that caused you to stop communicating with them as often as you had been. What happened to that relationship? Probably that relationship was not as strong as it had been. That relationship was not as close as it had been. The same is true with our relationship with God. We must stay in contact. We must feel free to reach out to God at any time. We must be willing to listen to what God has to share with us as well. This is prayer.
There are many forms of prayer; memorized, conversational, spontaneous, meditative, devotional, communal, personal, charismatic, reflective, silent, and even Taize prayer where a single word or phrase is said over and over again, as in, Jesus – Jesus – Jesus. All of these forms of prayer are important and effective ways of communicating with our Lord.
There is one form of prayer that is known as the prayer of the church, the divine office or Liturgy of the Hours, where prayer is said alone or in community at various hours throughout the day and night. Those who are ordained and the religious make a vow to pray these prayers every day, but everyone in the church is invited to pray them as well. These prayers begin with morning prayer, and move into mid-morning prayer, midday prayer, evening prayer and night prayer. The vowed religious pray all of them, every day, but one can pray any or all of them on any given day. Each one of the prayer times throughout the day take only 10 to 15 minutes, so the commitment to begin praying morning prayer and maybe evening prayer every day is not overwhelming.
One of the attractions to praying the Liturgy of the Hours is that the same set of Psalms and prayers are being prayed all over the world at the same times of the day, every day by millions of Catholics and even some non-Catholics. This is why it is called the prayer of the Church. There is real power in this communal and worldwide prayer, and we are all invited to participate in it, as much or as little as we are able to each day.
The prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours include scripture and other common prayers, but are mostly made up of praying the Psalms and this is the other attraction to praying the prayer of the Church. Praying the Psalms can make a big difference in one’s life because praying the Psalms is committal. That is to say that when we pray the Psalms we are committing to doing what we are telling God we will do. When we pray the Psalms, we are speaking directly to God, as ourselves, making specific requests and specific commitments. For instance, Psalm 51 says, “Create in me a clean heart oh God.” When we request this from God, what is God to do but to grant our request! Then, later we say, “Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.” When we say it to God, we are committing to it. Imagine God hearing this from us. Do you think he’s going to question our intention or our commitment? Will he respond by saying, “Really? Every time you open your mouth?” No, God is going to respond with an “Amen!”
Praying the Psalms is committal. Praying the Psalms is declarative. Praying the Psalms is transformative. Commit to praying the Psalms this Lenten season and see if it makes a difference for you in your prayer life. You can pray the Liturgy of the Hours from a book, although this can sometimes be more complicated than it should be as you use ribbons and bookmarks to jump from place to place as you pray. Or, you can download an app for your smart phone, there are many apps that conveniently present the set of prayers in the correct order for the user. This way you will always know which set of prayers to pray. The apps I have found easiest to use are IBreviary and Divine Office, both are free and easy to use.
However you decide to use the Lenten season to prepare yourself for Easter, I pray your experience is fruitful and life-changing, and if you choose to pray the Psalms, I pray that when you ask, “God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine upon us and we shall be saved,” that you truly feel God’s light shining upon you!
FASTING:
By Dr. Amanda Alexander
For many of us, the word “fasting” conjures up images of grumbling stomachs, checking the clock until the next meal, or navigating the confusing “loopholes” of what counts as meat. We often treat it as a spiritual tax—a burdensome obligation we pay because the Church requires it. But what if we looked at fasting not as a rule to be kept, but as a gift to be opened? When we look at the practices of the early Christians, we discover that fasting was never meant to be a lonely endurance test. It was a way of seeing the world, our neighbors, and God with entirely new eyes.
A Communal Bond: In the early Church, fasting was rarely a private affair. It was a corporate exercise that joined Christian to Christian. When you fast today, you aren’t just “giving something up” in isolation; you are stepping into a shared rhythm that has pulsed through the Body of Christ for two thousand years. It is a visible sign of belonging. Just as we share the feast of the Eucharist, we share the fast, reminding us that we are never alone in our struggle or our hope.
Radical Dependence: We live in a culture that prizes self-sufficiency and “having it all.” Fasting is a radical act of chosen vulnerability. By stepping away from our usual comforts, we physically remind ourselves that we are not in total control. We embrace a small, intentional hunger to make room for a deeper truth: we depend on God for every breath and every blessing. It is a physical prayer that says, “Lord, I am empty without You.”
Mission and Charity: The early Church Fathers had a beautiful saying: “In fasting, Christ is fed.” They believed that the food we deny ourselves should directly become the alms that feed our neighbor. This shifts fasting from “self-help” to “mission.” We don’t fast to lose weight or prove our willpower; we fast so that our surplus can meet someone else’s basic need. Our small sacrifice becomes a tangible act of love that strengthens the bonds of our community.
Mastering Desire: We are constantly bombarded by a consumer culture that tells us our desires are insatiable and must be satisfied immediately. Fasting is our training in spiritual freedom. It is a “Rule of Integration” for the soul, helping us master our impulses so they no longer master us. By saying “no” to a good thing like food, we strengthen our spiritual muscles to say “yes” to the best things—peace, patience, and presence.
Love over Legalism History: is full of “competitive fasters” who tried to outdo one another in holiness, and others who searched for loopholes to avoid the discipline entirely. But the heart of the fast is not found in the “letter of the law.” As the great spiritual teachers remind us, the goal is a heart informed by love and good intention. Whether your fast is large or small, its value lies in how it turns your heart back toward God.
Fasting is not about winning a spiritual marathon; it is about clearing the clutter of our lives to see Christ more clearly. If your fast was measured not by the rules you kept, but by how much it fed your neighbor and freed your heart, what is one “insatiable desire” you would need to fast from today?
ALMSGIVING:
By David Dolores
Lent invites us into a sacred season of renewal—40 days set aside for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These practices are pathways that open our hearts more fully to God and to one another. Among them, almsgiving calls us in a particular way to look beyond ourselves and respond to the needs of the wider community with generosity and love.
Almsgiving is more than simply giving money; it is an act of solidarity. It reminds us that what we have is a gift, entrusted to us for the good of others. When we give alms, we participate in Christ’s own compassion for the poor, the sick, and the forgotten. Our sacrifices—whether large or small—become tangible signs of hope, helping to heal wounds we may never see but are deeply real.
One meaningful way local Catholics can live out almsgiving during Lent is through support of the DDF Annual Appeal. The DDF Annual Appeal is a powerful expression of our shared mission as Church, uniting parishes and individuals in support of ministries and programs that serve the faithful and the broader community throughout the year. Through the appeal, our generosity helps fund essential works such as seminarian education, ensuring future priests are well formed to serve God’s people; hospital chaplains, who bring comfort, prayer and the sacraments to the sick and dying; the Office for Deacons, which supports those called to lives of service; and Catholic Charities, which provides critical assistance to the most vulnerable among us.
Supporting the DDF Annual Appeal is one way to transform Lenten almsgiving into lasting impact—strengthening ministries that embody Christ’s love long after the season ends.
As we journey through Lent, may our acts of almsgiving soften our hearts, deepen our faith, and remind us that when we give, we do not lose. Instead, we become part of God’s work in the world, helping to build a Church that serves, heals, and proclaims hope to all.
2026 Lenten Guidelines:
“The annual observance of Lent is the special season for ascent to the holy mountain of Easter. Through its’ two-fold theme of repentance and Baptism, the season of Lent disposes both the catechumens and the faithful to celebrate the Paschal Mystery. Catechumens are led to the sacraments of initiation by means of the Rite of Election, the scrutinies and catechesis. The faithful, listening more intently to the word of God and devoting themselves to prayer, are prepared through a spirit of repentance to renew their Baptismal promises.” Ceremonial of Bishops: 249
The Church provides us with many opportunities and experiences to help us in this struggle to be renewed in our Baptismal promises. The encouragement to give alms, pray daily, do works of justice, and to fast are a few.
This year Lent begins on Feb. 18. During the Lenten Season, two days of fasting and abstinence are observed: Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18 and Friday of the Passion of the Lord, (Good Friday) April 3. Abstinence from meat is also observed on all Fridays during Lent.
The regulation regarding the Lenten Discipline of fasting calls us to eat only one (1) full meal during the day. Two additional meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one’s needs; but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids (including milk and juices) are allowed. This discipline is to be observed by those between the ages of 18 and 59.
The Lenten Discipline of abstinence calls us to refrain from eating meat and is to be observed by all who are 14 years of age and older.
When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, ecclesiastical law does not oblige us to fast or abstain. When in doubt concerning the regulations of fast and abstinence, your parish priest should be consulted.
Amanda Alexander is currently the Director of the Department of Ministry Formation Institute for the Diocese and a parishioner of St. Adelaide in Highland. She has a Ph.D. in systematic theology and has taught at numerous Catholic universities. Deacon Eric Vilchis currently serves in the diocesan Office for Deacons and is assigned to Saint Thomas More Parish in Rialto. David Dolores is the Senior Development Officer in the Diocesan Office of Mission Advancement.