Pain is temporary, holiness is forever...I think

As Lent approaches like a starving lion on the trail of a wounded gazelle, I find myself once again asking just what kind of penance I want to take on this year. While I haven’t yet made any final decisions, I promised everyone at youth group a couple weeks ago that I would challenge you to really grow in holiness and try something a little bit more challenging than giving up chocolate, again. This isn’t to say that I object to giving things up, I just think that candy might be taking it a little too easy. If you are set on giving something up, try meat. That’s right, meat. Instead of just abstaining on Friday’s during Lent, abstain every day. Some other ideas that have crossed my mind are as follows. You don’t have to limit yourself to just one thing, either. In fact, I challenge all of you to take the opportunity to rise up and go for the gold this Lent. Try these on for size, or come up with some ideas of your own.
No TV. If your family does a weekly movie night or something along those lines then you can make an exception, but try cutting yourself off from generalized network television and instead read a good book, like the Bible or the lives of the Saints.
Adoration. The perpetual Adoration chapel always has a few empty slots that need to be filled up. Is an extra hour a week too much to spend with our Lord? You can go at anytime, not just in the empty slots.
Get up early. This also entails going to bed a bit before midnight. Try getting up an hour earlier in the morning and dedicating that time to the Lord. This might involve spending the time in prayer or helping your family with some early morning preparations for the day. Regardless, offer it up to the Lord.
Pray a Rosary: I know this one might sound a little bit easy, but I encourage you to take a devotional like the rosary every single day. The power of constant prayer can be an amazing force in your life.
Daily Mass. If you only do one thing, do this. Like Jesus said, “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life within you.” If we truly want to live the life that Christ has offered us, we need to have His Body and Blood within us. The Eucharist can have deep and profound effects on your life, but it helps if you actually receive it more than once a week.
Anyway, these are just a couple of suggestions. You don’t have to take any of them, but I think you will find Lent to be far more fulfilling if you really give it your all and do something more challenging than just giving up chocolate or candy. Remember, Christ gave His life for you, what are you willing to give up for Him?