Septuagesima - Preparing to Prepare
Lent is right around the corner. A time to prepare our hearts and souls for Easter! The highest feast in our faith! So what is Septuagesima ? It is a Pre-Lent! So I figure it is a time to prepare for Lent. To decide what things I want to do to share this time with my children and get everything together.
In the Old Rite the weeks leading up to Lent are called by special names:
Planning has not always been my strong point. I have ideas that I want to implement, but the act of gathering supplies, printing out sheets and setting up activities is still delayed! The day comes and I am ready to start but there is nothing ready for me. I'm still a teacher in training! So this reminder in Mass has started me thinking of what I should do. Join me as I brainstorm!
The first place I start is our family alter. A place in our house where we center the reminders of our faith. This changes season by season. A cross, our rosaries, statues and religious pictures. For Lent I add a purple cloth. I also have a crown of thorns made years ago for me by a friend from the branches of a thorned bush. I like to keep the alter simple this time of year so the contrast with Easter is more notable! Though everything seems to have gotten simpler with little hands around to get into everything I try to put out.
Lent is a time of increased prayer, sacrifice, and giving. Considering the ages of my children, I want to do things that are visual and hands on. Simple yet meaningful.
Prayer
A new prayer for the season to be said each morning.
I just discovered an intercessory prayer chain for Lent that I would like to do this year! You make 40 purple rings (and maybe a pink set) made of construction paper. Then you write someone's name inside or other special intention and connect them in a chain. Each morning (except Sunday, maybe a white for each Sunday) you take off one of the rings and use that intercession for your prayers and sacrifices throughout the day!
Some ideas of sacrifices for young children include stop or reduce screen time, desserts, whining... well maybe for older children but my daughter would not just stop whining for Lent let alone the boys!
Another idea I found is the Lent Box! Taking a large bin or bag, you have the children put in a toy or stuffed animal that they regularly play with. Now if it is going to cause meltdowns at night time I would find another, but it should be something that they would miss and enjoy seeing return come Easter. Then labeling it with "Don't Open Til Easter" or other reminders it is put away to be brought out almost like a new again toy on Easter!
An often overlooked aspect of Lent is alms giving. We are suppose to take the fruit of our sacrifice and increase our giving to those in need. This can be a time to give a special donation to a particular charity or just take the amount saved during Lent and give it to the Church.
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In the Old Rite the weeks leading up to Lent are called by special names:
- Septuagesima - 70 days to Easter, this year February 17, 2019
- Sexagesima- 60 days to Easter, February 24, 2019
- Quinquagesima - 50 days to Easter also the Sunday Before Ash Wednesday, March 6!
Planning has not always been my strong point. I have ideas that I want to implement, but the act of gathering supplies, printing out sheets and setting up activities is still delayed! The day comes and I am ready to start but there is nothing ready for me. I'm still a teacher in training! So this reminder in Mass has started me thinking of what I should do. Join me as I brainstorm!
The first place I start is our family alter. A place in our house where we center the reminders of our faith. This changes season by season. A cross, our rosaries, statues and religious pictures. For Lent I add a purple cloth. I also have a crown of thorns made years ago for me by a friend from the branches of a thorned bush. I like to keep the alter simple this time of year so the contrast with Easter is more notable! Though everything seems to have gotten simpler with little hands around to get into everything I try to put out.Lent is a time of increased prayer, sacrifice, and giving. Considering the ages of my children, I want to do things that are visual and hands on. Simple yet meaningful.
Prayer
A new prayer for the season to be said each morning.
- Abbreviated Stations of the Cross
- Act of Contrition
I like this poem which I plan to teach my daughter:
Jesus you have died for me,
Sacrificing everything!
I give up this little thing,
Remembering what you've done!
Let me fill the time with love,
Prayers to Him who is above!
Each little thing is enough
To remember what was done!
When 40 days of Lent is passed,
And I know that I gave my best,
All that I have done is blessed,
And now for Easter fun!
Whatever I choose I can put it on a card and laminate it and place it on the alter as a reminder. Or hang it on the wall. My daughter is just barely learning to read (let alone the twins) so it will mostly be for me. She has been doing very well at memorizing though so this could be one more thing to add to her repertoire.
I really think my daughter would enjoy this prayer chain. She loves naming off everyone she can think of when we ask for intercessions before our family prayers. She also enjoys crafts. The boys enjoy glue! I think I may be doing a lot of cutting and writing!
Sacrifice
This is the part of Lent that most people are familiar with. What should I give up? Chocolate? Meat? TV? Now as adults we are required to give up meat on Ash Wednesdays and every Friday in Lent. Children, however, are exempt! This doesn't mean they cant follow along and have grilled cheese on Fridays! Likewise, the act of giving something up for the 40 days of Lent is memorable and purifying even for children!
I think this is something that should be discussed with them. Getting them in on the discussion helps them to mature in their faith and increases their understanding of sacrifice personally.
Some ideas of sacrifices for young children include stop or reduce screen time, desserts, whining... well maybe for older children but my daughter would not just stop whining for Lent let alone the boys!
Another idea I found is the Lent Box! Taking a large bin or bag, you have the children put in a toy or stuffed animal that they regularly play with. Now if it is going to cause meltdowns at night time I would find another, but it should be something that they would miss and enjoy seeing return come Easter. Then labeling it with "Don't Open Til Easter" or other reminders it is put away to be brought out almost like a new again toy on Easter!
One thing I like about the Lent Box is that even my younger boys can experience some effect of the sacrifice even though they are so young. My one year old with really enjoy playing with one of his favorite toys again come Easter though I don't think he will miss it much in the meantime!
Maybe we will put the word "Alleluia" in the box too! Have you ever heard the tradition of burying the "Alleluia" for Lent?
Giving
An often overlooked aspect of Lent is alms giving. We are suppose to take the fruit of our sacrifice and increase our giving to those in need. This can be a time to give a special donation to a particular charity or just take the amount saved during Lent and give it to the Church.
My current favorite idea for giving with the children this year is getting a few rolls of dimes from the bank and decorating a jar to place on the alter. Then choosing a charity to save for and putting a picture on the jar so they can see what they are raising coins for with their sacrifices. Then throughout the day when they do good deeds they can earn a coin to put in the jar. They will see the level in the jar go up throughout the season. At the end of Lent then the money is giving to the chosen charity.
I've also heard of sacrifices being marked by white beans with a purple cross on them and then come Easter the jar of beans is replaced with jellybeans that they can then "earn" by more good behavior!
It seems Lent is all about character training. It is much easier to see as I plan out ways to help my children grow spiritually. But it is character training for us as adults too. In many ways we are all children in the eyes of God. He wants us to grow in holiness and truth. Becoming more like Him!
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