Preparing our young children for Lent

With Lent fast approaching, I've been atwitter gathering ideas for devotions, fasting, sacrificing, praying and almsgiving. We've decided to go meatless, which is interesting for our family in a number of ways. I don't actually mind giving up meat, though my poor husband does. What makes it a sacrifice for me is that I have to think harder about feeding my family with beans, pasta, cheese, eggs and fish.

When we go meatless, I always think about those many families in the world that don't have the luxury of "opting" to go without meat. Most of the world struggles to feed their families nutritious, satisfying meals. In fasting, I am mindful of how grateful we should be that we live where we do--we could have been born into abject poverty, violent, revolutionary lands or worse. It's a fast that will inspire gratitude and prayer--the best kind of fast!

Usually eating doesn't require much thought at all: we can choose from dozens of menus to feed our hungry children and to satisfy our appetites. Having to stop and think, to evaluate our available resources and to make something good with what we have--this is good for us. And though limiting things a bit will require creativity, we could use some practice with limiting our consumption--reigning our appetites in a little.

For the little ones (who hardly ever finish their pork chops, etc), I'm shamelessly borrowing some ideas: a sacrifice jar and Lenten calendars. Hopefully, by presenting Lent as a walk with Jesus in the desert, with little oases on Sundays, it'll make more sense to them. I know the idea of earning beans (or in our case, decorative rocks, since I don't have beans today) towards M&Ms will go over very well. I just hope they don't feed the dog the rocks.

On Fridays, we'll borrow the idea of Pretzels and Prayer. We'll make pretzels each Friday, and while they're rising, boiling and baking, we'll say a Rosary or a Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Doodle's so pleased to be able to "lead" the prayers, and his mama is pleased to have a partner in prayer.

We'll try to get out for Stations of the Cross, but we've got a few resources to say them at home, too. Last year we colored stations, lit candles and then blew out each one as we finished the station.

More than anything, I've been working on building anticipation, curiosity and a spirit of willingness. The little ones want to find out what all of this is about, and I get to share it with them and teach them. What a blessing in itself!

Here at the beginning of Lent, I'm thankful that the Good Lord gave us each a domestic church to work in . . . I'm humbled to be the limbs and face of his Body in the lives of our children.