Can I be real with you for a second?

Right now, we are in what I like to call the “dark ages.”

Those delicious Thanksgiving meals are long behind us, Christmas decorations are in the (smelly) attic, and the countdown to a new year is a distant echo. Not to mention, those New Year’s resolutions are just starting to get annoyingly difficult. That “fresh start” feeling has passed, and it seems like the stretch to spring break is uncomfortably never-ending.

Insert Lenten season … really? 

Lent falling in the middle of the “dark ages” often used to frustrate me, but I’ve begun to wonder if this is just proof of how intentional our God really is.

This season often feels difficult — depressing, some may say — but in the dark, we always seem to find ourselves desperately searching for the Light. What better time to draw closer to God? The Lord has structured a beautiful season, Lent, for us to do so. His promise gets even better — this time of trial will not be alone, but together, as one Body of Christ.

Lent and the “dark ages” get a whole lot better when our trials are seen as gifts and our triumphs as opportunities for transformation. During this season, we are asked to place our heart next to his while he bears not just his cross, but our own. To develop a “more of God, less of me” mindset. To leave behind the things that leave him behind.

So, how do we do that? Am I suggesting we just throw out our phones? 

Short answer: No. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t get anywhere without Maps. Or Spotify… 

You don’t need to throw out everything you own, never eat a Reese’s, use a paper map, or rent a carrier pigeon for communication to have a successful, transformative Lent.

The Church gives us three practices to help us do this.

CCC 1434 teaches that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are “the traditional forms of penance” that express prayerful focus on three areas:

• God (prayer)
• Self (fasting)
• Others (almsgiving)

First, prayer. Prayer is not the foundation of our relationship with God; it IS our relationship with God. Ask God to reveal to you: What kind of prayer should I attempt to grow in this Lent? What distracts me from making intentional time to pray? How can I increase my communication with God? Step outside the box — prayer is limitless. Explore the Liturgy of the Hours, novenas, Lectio Divina, litanies, or “The 180” Teen Lent Challenge on Hallow. To make it even easier, we’re offering 3 months free!

Next, fasting. Fasting is not about misery; it’s about detachment and intentionality. What distracts you from seeing Jesus throughout your day? What chips away at your identity as a son or daughter of the King? What keeps you from being a better brother or sister in Christ? Ask God to make these things clear to you, and how you can fast from them.

Fasting is not God asking for our candy bars, but for our hearts. If the sin of gluttony truly is a struggle for you or a distraction from God, then that might be the fast you’re looking for. However, it’s important to remember that Lent is about the heart, not the stomach. If fasting were only physical, it would hardly differ from dieting. The purpose of fasting is mostly spiritual: to bring order to our interior life.

Last but not least, almsgiving. Before you think, “I’m way too broke to give donations,” here is your reminder that almsgiving is way bigger than a money offering. Almsgiving is choosing generosity over comfort so we can love like Jesus. Ask yourself: How can I see Christ in them? How can I serve others like I would Jesus? (Matthew 25:40)

Almsgiving can look like giving time, emotional support, or sharing what you have in abundance. Be creative.

Check out this curated list of 100 ideas for Lent from the Life Teen family. They may spark an idea for how you decide to prayerfully enter into Lent through praying, fasting, or almsgiving. Remember, however you decide to seek the Light in the darkness this season, you are not alone, and we are praying for you!

1. Pray in silence for 15 minutes each day.
2. Don’t gossip.
3. Give up all social media. (Temporarily delete your apps if you have to!)
4. Join “The 180” Teen Lent Challenge by Life Teen on Hallow.
5. Take cold (or cooler) showers.
6. Write down ten things you’re grateful for each day.
7. Don’t use your phone during your first hour awake.
8. Give up unnecessary purchases for all of Lent.
9. Stop using emojis to avoid sharing your real feelings.
10. Do a holy hour (or holy half hour) daily, twice a week, or weekly.
11. Give up energy drinks.
12. Give up TikTok.
13. Practice chastity. Honor God with your body and your eyes.
14. Read the Crucifixion account from one of the four Gospels each Friday.
15. Give up secular TV.
16. Pray the Rosary every day.
17. Pray the Litany of Trust every day.
18. Don’t use your phone while walking or driving.
19. Stop wishing for someone else’s life, relationship, or possessions.
20. Pray St. Padre Pio’s “Stay With Me” prayer every day.
21. Don’t snooze your alarm.
22. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours (Morning or Night Prayer).
23. Pray for a classmate, teammate, or coworker each day.
24. Give up Instagram.
25. Spend the first ten minutes after your alarm in prayer.
26. Give up secular music.
27. Give up your favorite video game.
28. Go to God first before ANYTHING else (no texting, venting, or reacting).
29. Donate to a local charity or parish ministry.
30. Drink only water, coffee, and/or tea.
31. Invite someone new to Mass, a meal, or a hangout each week.
32. Give up Snapchat.
33. Practice “one screen at a time” (no double-screening).
34. Speak to Jesus regularly, not just when you need something.
35. Put the Rosary on in the background while driving (instead of music).
36. Serve others intentionally each week, throughout the week, by anticipating their needs.
37. Set aside the money you’d normally spend on your favorite drinks or snacks for your church or a Catholic charity instead.
38. Dress modestly.
39. Read Road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35 with a new friend each week.
40. Don’t talk back to your parents.
41. Don’t listen to music or podcasts in the car.
42. Pray the Litany of Humility every day.
43. Stop complaining.
44. Leave sticky notes with Scripture/affirmations in public.
45. Don’t use headphones at the gym.
46. Give up listening to your favorite artist.
47. Give up sarcasm (the rude kind).
48. Give up fried food.
49. Do a daily Scripture or Gospel reflection.
50. Move your body daily (walk, work out, practice a sport, etc.).
51. Write a letter to someone each day and mail the letters weekly.
52. Give up a favorite sweet treat (like Nutella).
53. Visit your adoration chapel more regularly.
54. Don’t sleep in past 8:00 am.
55. Fast from negativity (complaining, gossip, pessimism, etc.).
56. Attend Stations of the Cross on Fridays.
57. Give up snacks.
58. Give up TV entirely.
59. Pray for someone when you feel like judging them.
60. Text someone new each day and ask how you can pray for them.
61. Ask your parish how you can volunteer.
62. Give up cream and/or sugar in your coffee.
63. Make a family prayer board for the season.
64. Do service projects as your almsgiving.
65. Give up a distraction (streaming, scrolling, etc.).
66. Stop making excuses or over-explaining yourself.
67. Only listen to Hallow or a religious podcast in the car.
68. Learn about a new saint each day and ask for their intercession.
69. Compliment someone new each day.
70. Don’t buy any material goods (clothes, shoes, hats, makeup, jewelry).
71. Stop ignoring calls/texts (respond instead of avoiding).
72. Give up listening to music entirely.
73. Don’t text and drive.
74. Donate any extra clothing you do not wear often.
75. Volunteer at a homeless shelter.
76. Attend one daily Mass each week (plus Sunday Mass).
77. Read “I Thirst” by Mother Teresa each week.
78. Stop texting the opposite sex just for attention.
79. Make your bed each day.
80. Always leave for school with your room clean.
81. Give others the benefit of the doubt.
82. Be patient with others who are learning, growing, or maturing.
83. Each day, quietly complete a chore and do not tell your parents.
84. Don’t use screens during meals.
85. Drive in silence (no radio, music, or podcasts).
86. Give up snacking between meals.
87. Don’t use screens in bed.
88. Stop negative self-talk/body shaming.
89. Don’t swear.
90. Invite someone to a meal each week that you haven’t seen in a while.
91. Begin your mornings with a five-minute walk, praying your daily intentions aloud.
92. Write down 40 names of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers etc. and pull one from a jar each day to intentionally pray for them. (Bump it up to 46 names if including Sundays during Lent.)
93. Don’t text or Snapchat people you don’t actually know.
94. Offer your Sunday Mass for someone you don’t get along with.
95. Pray a Hail Mary while walking to class.
96. Refrain from getting angry with your siblings.
97. Don’t eat out.
98. Don’t get your nails done.
99. Make amends with someone you keep avoiding.
100. Complete an examination of conscience or an Examen each night.

The above ideas are meant to supplement your traditional Lenten practices, not replace them. The traditional acts of penance are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The Church asks us to abstain from (not eat) meat on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during Lent, to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and to prioritize prayer and intentional giving. These Lenten sacrifices are not just an endurance test or exercise in self-discipline; they are the path to total conversion of heart, which is what this season is all about.

A great Lent isn’t about doing everything — it’s about doing something with intention. Stay consistent. Invite God in. Prayerfully consider where God is calling you this Lenten season.

Remember, don’t do it alone this Lent — you belong to the Body of Christ. Join us in prayer and preparation for the Resurrection of our King!