Lent is starting off a little rocky for some of us this but it's not too late to have the best lent ever! This year INCLINE is doing Lifeteens' Lent Companion book that challenges us to reflect, pray, give, and fast. 

Each week there's a specific challenge and daily reflections. Join us on the journey (come by the Faith Formation Office for a hardcopy book or receive one in Discipleship Groups).

Pray: Every day this week pray the “Litany of Trust” by the Sisters of Life
Fast: This week you are fasting from every beverage except for water
Alms Giving: Go through your closet this week and find at least three items to donate and give away.

2/24/21 - Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

First Reading: Jonah 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51
Gospel: Luke 11:29-32

Reflection:
All of us have done things in our life that we would rather not admit, either because of embarrassment or shame. Rather than bringing those tings directly to Go, our hearts can become hardened against His Word and movement in our lives. Shame can drive us away from God and, instead, we think, “I’ve got this. Things are actually easier without God in my life.” But after trying things our own way for a while, we realize how far we’ve fallen and how lost we’ve become. In those moments, God can use a single voice to draw us back.

At the preaching of Jonah, the people of Nineveh knew something had to change. They were willing to own up o their sin and make changes in their lives, hoping in the Lord’s mercy. They believed that they could be made new—that their stony hearts could be broken and they could have new life breathed into them.

In Jesus’ time, there were people just like those of Jonah’s time, willing to repent and turn from evil. There were also those who were too afraid to admit to their failures. They didn’t have confidence in God’s mercy, so they tried to convince themselves that they didn’t need it. What will we choose this Lent? Will we run to our loving Father, begging for new hearts, offering fasts and turning from sin or will we spend our time ignoring God and refusing His help? Jesus is calling; He wants us to leave the counterfeits behind and to seek after Him who satisfies. What will we choose today?

Pray:
Take a few minutes to reflect on God’s mercy by mediating on the line from the Litany of Trust, “that your love goes deeper than my sins and failings and transforms me.” What does this mean for you, today?

Let Go:
Water isn’t just necessary for us to live, it is vital for the Earth. Water is a critical part of regulating the Earth’s temperature. Remember – only water today for drinking

Give:
What is your least favorite color? Consider getting rid of any clothing in that color

2/23/21 - Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34
Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15
Reflection:
You are almost a week into Lent, and you might already be daydreaming about Easter Sunday, when you can take your next bite of chocolate, drink your next soda, or do whatever it is that you are sacrificing for Lent. You are not alone! Lent is hard, but the fruitfulness of freeing ourselves from attachments we might have is worth the fight. The good news is that God is on your side. He isn’t a father who sits back and watches His children struggle, but enters in, encourages us, and strengthens us to be strong sons and daughters. He provides us with all that we need to keep the fight alive. In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples, “The Lord’s Prayer,” which is also commonly called “The Our Father.” These words are not just a simple prayer, but a tool that Jesus might give us what we need each day so that we can glorify Him in every moment of our lives. It teaches us gratitude, petition, and trust in God’s providence.

Take a moment to thank God for the opportunity to enter into Lent and ask Him for the grace to follow through on your commitments. Then, pray the Our Father with confidence that the Father hears our pleas for help, and answer us like the loving father that He is.

Pray:
Take a few moments to reflect on the petition, “Give us this day our daily bread,” in the Lord’s Prayer. What is it you need from God right now? Ask God for it, then pray the Litany of Trust.

Let Go:
Bread is a basic food, just like water is a basic beverage. You can live on both, though –they are the simplest foods but give us what we need. Remember, only water this week

Give:
Still hunting for clothing. What about things that you’ve grown (either in style or size)? You probably have a few shirts from middle school that you could give away.

2/22/21 - Monday: Feast of The Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

Read the following: 
First Reading: 1 Peter 5: 1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19

Reflection:
If you were with Jesus and He asked you who you thought He was, what would you say? You probably would say, “You are the savior, messiah, Christ,” just like Peter does in the Gospel. But what if Jesus followed up His question with, “Who do your actions say that I am?” It is easy to profess our faith in Jesus with our words but not with our actions. Jesus asks His disciples this important question of identity because He needs them to understand that He isn’t just another teacher or rabbi. He isn’t just one choice for philosophy to follow or a religion to be a part of. Jesus is God—He is our savior. If the disciples don’t get that, nothing else in the life of Jesus is going to make much sense.

We profess who we think Jesus is by our actions and our words. Do you live like a disciple of Jesus, the Son of the Living God? Or do you live like a student of a teacher or a follower of a social media influencer? Do we pick and choose what Jesus asks from us or do we trust Jesus wholly, knowing that He saves us and we can’t save ourselves? Our profession of faith must be both in word and in action, or we risk hypocrisy by saying Jesus is Lord without speech, but denying Him in practice.

Pray:
Pray the Litany of Trust, then take a few minutes to reflect in prayer: which line of this prayer is the most difficult for you to pray? Why?

Let Go:
This week you are fasting from every beverage except for water. If you feel tempted this week remember that over 790 million people lack access to clean water. That cold glass of water is a bigger blessing than we often realize.

Give:
Need some help finding clothes to donate? Go through you closet and pick out anything you haven’t worn in the last 3 months. Those are good starting candidates.