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March 2, 2025Choosing a Lenten Promise: A Challenge for Catholic Men in the Year of Jubilee
Lent is an opportunity—not just for sacrifice, but for growth. Each year, we are called to take one step closer to the men God created us to be. Not all at once, not by sheer willpower alone, but through small, intentional choices that bring us into deeper communion with Christ.
This year, as we prepare for the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference in this Year of Jubilee, we are reminded that Jubilee is about renewal, restoration, and freedom—freedom from sin, renewal in Christ, and restoration of our families and communities. The Lenten commitments we make today are not just for these 40 days; they are stepping stones in our lifelong journey of faith.
Step 1: Identify Your Next Step
As men, we often try to fix everything at once. But spiritual growth happens incrementally. Lent isn’t about setting impossible goals—it’s about making one concrete change that draws you closer to God.
Ask yourself:
- Where am I in my faith journey right now?
- What is the next step I need to take?
- How can I challenge myself without overwhelming myself?
Lent is about progress, not perfection. One step forward this year means you are not the same man you were last year.
Step 2: Choose a Meaningful Sacrifice and Commitment
A strong Lenten practice balances both giving up and taking up:
- Give Up what weakens you: A bad habit, a sin, an attachment that holds you back. Maybe it’s gossip, impatience, wasting time online, or avoiding difficult conversations.
- Take Up what strengthens you: A discipline that brings you closer to Christ. This could be morning prayer, spiritual reading, fasting with purpose, or simply leading grace before meals with your family.
The key is to choose something that stretches you—something that, by Easter, will have changed you.
Step 3: Lead Others by Example
Our mission as Catholic men isn’t just about personal holiness—it’s about bringing others along with us. Your Lenten journey should make you a better husband, father, and brother in Christ.
- Pray with your wife and children. Even if it’s just once a week, that’s one step forward.
- Invite a friend or coworker to Mass. Small invitations change lives.
- Encourage another man in his faith. Maybe he’s new to prayer, or maybe he’s struggling. Walking this path together makes us stronger.
Spiritual growth is never meant to be done alone. The Year of Jubilee calls us to restore what is broken—and that begins in our own homes and communities.
Step 4: Keep Building Beyond Lent
The habits we form in Lent should carry over into the rest of the year. If we only make sacrifices for 40 days and then return to old ways, we’ve missed the point. Instead, think of Lent as a training ground—a season to build one spiritual muscle that will stay with you beyond Easter.
So, as we prepare for the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference in this Year of Jubilee, let’s approach Lent with a clear mission: to take one step forward in faith. To let Christ transform us—not all at once, but one decision at a time.
Reflection Questions for Lent
- What is one habit or sin I need to break?
- How can I strengthen my relationship with Christ in one concrete way?
- What small commitment will help me lead my family better?
- How will I make sure my Lenten growth continues beyond Easter?
Lent is our training ground. Easter is our victory. Let’s step forward together.
