
Lent is a season of prayer and penance set apart by the Church to prepare us for Easter and to recall Our Lord’s fast in the desert (cf. Matt 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). This season of preparation and sanctification can be fittingly accomplished through voluntary amendment of life, acts of penance, and works of charity. Lent is a time to learn to love our souls more than our bodies. Thus, every Christian should make a special effort to practice mortification and strive for holiness during the forty days of Lent.