Lent is now upon us as Ash Wednesday arrives a bit later than usual this year. The one advantage of Lent starting in March is that it gives us more time to reflect on our personal and familial Lenten plans for this 40+-day holy season. And trust me, that’s a good thing, because Lent isn’t exactly something you want to “wing.”

Lent 2025 is a great time to look in your spiritual mirror.

This past Sunday, one of our priests at St. Mary put the necessity of Lent in a very helpful perspective. Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski, our priest-in-residence, suggested that Ash Wednesday is the perfect time to look ourselves in the spiritual mirror. He cautioned that we might not like what we see but at least we have the opportunity to improve that reflection before Easter.

When I meditated on Fr. Mike’s analogy, it made perfect sense to me. How often do we look in our bathroom mirror and not like what we see? I have the feeling that I am not the only one who is sometimes less than pleased. But a thorough and honest look can spark motivation to improve. This improvement can usually be attained through exercise, eating better, and getting more sleep.

When we look into the spiritual mirror, we can be shocked at the hypocrisy, anger, and lack of faith that stares back at us. How do we get back into better faith shape? Through the most effective formula there is—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Thankfully, Lent provides the perfect length of time to steer us back onto the road of holiness by embracing those three pillars.

Sloan and I after attending the school Ash Wednesday mass in February 2024. .

Fr. Jeff Lewis, our pastor at St. Mary, once preached that Lent is like boot camp. It serves as an intensive way to get back on track. However, after boot camp ends, we can’t be lazy again and allow our training to go out the window. We still have to work hard at it.

As we prepare for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, I am going to do what I can to get into better spiritual shape. By the time April 20 rolls around, I hope to see much improvement when I look into that mirror and I also hope to have the endurance to continue onward. Don’t Blink.

Past Lenten Blog Posts
Pursuing the Best Reward
Lent 2024: Ash Wednesday Over Valentine’s Day
General Lenten Points of Emphasis
Lent 2023: A Necessary Time
Lent 2022: Solidarity With Ukraine
The Lenten Road
The Journey of Lent
The Real Purpose of Lent