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Lent is waiting around the corner. A signal that Lent is in the wings will be the farewell to the "Alleluia" at Sunday Mass. The Alleluia verse sung before the Gospel disappears during Lent; it will rise again at the Easter Vigil.

The time of fasting has come. Ash Wednesday is March 8. "The day of ashes" is the authentic name for beginning the 40-day march to Easter. The strange smudge of blessed dirt on faithful foreheads is our day of public Catholicism: "Look, she's Catholic!"

Ask people what Lent is, and you will receive more than 40 different answers: "Lent is sacrifice." "Lent is sad." "Lent is giving up." "Lent is long and dull." "It is the beginning of spring." "Lent is a test." "Lent is so 'old-Church.'" "Lent is easy to start, but hard to finish."

But Lent is not punishment. Lent is not serving time. Lent is the Church's holy season to focus on the central event of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lent has movements: The first four weeks focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving. "High Lent" moves us to Passiontide, weeks five and six. Holy Week is the year's most solemn time; the Triduum - the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Holy Week - is our Easter celebration.

Lent is a communal movement from ashes to Easter. Lent waits for us. Will you be ready to meet it and follow where it leads?

Here are 10 ways to observe Lent:

• Burn last year's palms and keep the ashes before you for a week, signifying the 40 Days.

• Find five minutes of quiet each day. Buy a purple Lenten candle and light it each day at a set time.

• Spend nothing, charge nothing and order nothing during one week of Lent.

• Attend daily Mass one day a week during Lent.

• Disable the computer for one day each week.

• Take a 10-minute walk each day.

• Attend Stations of the Cross in your neighborhood church.

• Clean your closet; give the results to the poor.

• Make the Lord's Day special each week during Lent.

• Detoxify something around you, within you or for another.

Think about those words for the Lenten journey: burn, find, buy, spend, attend, disable, take, clean, make, detoxify.

Lent is a holy rendezvous.

(Father Rosson is pastor of St. Mary's/Our Lady of the Lake parish in Cooperstown.)[[In-content Ad]]

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