Lent

The Church's Requirements for Lent and Fasting:
From age 18-59: you are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
From age 14 and older: you are required to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent.

Though you are required to fast during Lent, by Church rule, this should be extended throughout the year, or apply additional days of fasting. Prayer and Fasting are irrespirable.

The Lent Season is a time for reflection on the life of Christ as well as the Passion. Christ suffered, died, and was buried. Christ's life was shed for us so that we may live with the hope of redemption. The simple act of prayer is an integral part of being a Christian. Pray as much as you can, from the heart. One heart-felt prayer will go further for your relationship with God than 50 rushed prayers. For catholics there are many great prayers:

Catholic Prayers
The Rosary
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Hail Mary
Our Father

If you have a patron saint, pray to that saint for guidance, help, or intercession. Praying to a Patron Saint has been explained to me two ways: 1) It's a treasury of support setup by God to help us get divine help 2) Patron Saints are like a prayer buddy that exists in Heaven to help you with your prayer needs.

If you do not pray regularly, try praying once a day. If you pray regularly, try making your prayers more heart-felt or praying more for others.

The death of Jesus inspired the idea of abstaining during Lent. The point of abstaining is to mortify the senses to develop a greater level of self awareness. Doing so will be broken down to the 5 forms of abstaining, each with their roots in the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Touch: The Physical Wounds Inflicted on Christ
The most seen, and most moving image of the Passion is that of the Physical wounds of Christ: two in the feet, two in the hands, and the rib. From this pain, we must think to ourselves what may be done during the lenten season to deny ourselves some form of Touch.

If you find yourself feeling a bit chilly, deny yourself the comfort of the blanket. Remembering that the small discomfort of not cuddling up with a warm blanket while watching TV is a reminder of the discomfort felt by Jesus

Taste: The Vinegar to "Quench" Christ's Thirst
The mortification of taste is powerful. When Christ was thirsty, he was given vinegar to quench his thirst. For Catholics, we must reflect on this as another thing to abstain from during lent. For this reason, try to find one thing which is satisfying to the mouth and remove it from your daily routine.

For those who partake in the daily Starbucks trip, stop the car. During lent, try to give up the pleasure of a latte or macchiato.

Sight: Seeing the Blessed Mother Weeping
When Christ looked down from the cross he saw at his feet the Blessed Virgin Mary weeping for her son. This was both painful for Mary as it was for Christ. Mary was witnessing the pain and suffering of her only Son. If you are parent, try to imagine watching your child suffer and die. If you are a child, try to imagine having your parent watch you die. This leads us to reflect on the "sight" aspect of abstinence.

Instead of going out to the movies with friends, take time to walk outside or go to the Church (adoration). The goal should be to develop a closer relationship with God's creation and with his world.

Smell: Smelling the Bodies of Rotting Corpses
The location of the Crucifixion was a dumping ground for dead bodies, just rotting away. Jesus was in pain, suffering--both emotionally and physically, and was having to inhale the constant odor of rotting flesh. We must reflect on a way to remove the pleasures of smell.

Forget the expensive perfume/cologne for lent. Still bathe and use deodorant, but remember that you do not need to smell like a million dollars, just smell clean. Removing the pleasure of a nice fragrance is the sensory removal

Hearing: The Blasphemy and Ridicule From The Crowd
Jesus, from the cross, until his last day, heard the voices of those around him telling him that he was a liar and not the true Son of God. This just added more suffering to the suffering Christ was already experiencing. We need to reflect on this and find something to take away from our own pleasure in the sounds we hear.

On those many rides in the car, leave the radio off. Taking away the pleasure of having something comforting to hear should serve as a reminder of the lack of comfort Our Lord had on the cross.

Giving to each other is an important aspect of Christian life. We must learn to give anything we can. The Church Fathers urge all of us to GIVE. It does not matter what form, whether it's donating old clothes, giving money to the local organizations, or getting out and helping your neighbor. Do whatever you can, which may or may not involve monetary contributions.