The Three Disciplines of Lent: A Practical Guide

Works of Repentance: There are three “works worthy of repentance” commended by the example and teaching of Christ, the apostles and prophets:  fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. (In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus gives counsel “when”, not “if”,  we fast, pray, and give alms).  In Lent, the Church devotes itself the corporate practice of these disciplines, so that dying to sin and rising again to a new life of righteousness, we may be fit to keep the feast of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter.

Fasting and Abstinence

…is the reduction in quantity and quality of one’s food and drink, together with other bodily pleasures and amusements.   Fasting is designed to curb the body’s imperious appetites, and to express our hunger for God, his kingdom, and righteousness.  We fast from earthly foods, that we may feast upon the bread of heaven.  “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that cometh forth from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Fasting – total abstinence from food and drink broken at the day’s end by a light supper of plain food – is required by the prayerbook on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  (Non-nutritive drinks are permitted.)

Abstinence – customarily from flesh meat and other rich foods – is required on all the weekdays of Lent (up to Easter Eve).

Exempted from the full requirement are little children, the elderly, the infirm, and those whose health or work require it (e.g. diabetics, active-duty soldiers).  They should however practice self-denial in other ways – perhaps just by eating plainer food without fussiness or discontent.

Prayer

…is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, in thanks and praise for the greatness of his glory, and asking confidently for his grace.  In Prayer we exercise our Hope in the Promises of God, and learn to look expectantly for the fulfillment of his saving purpose.  Fasting acknowledges the hunger of the soul:  Prayer directs this hunger to God, his kingdom and righteousness.

For prayer to be a discipline, you need to make a rule for yourself – a time (and ideally, a place) in which you can give your full attention to God; some kind of pattern or form to follow.  Here are a few to choose from:

Morning and Evening Prayer is the Church’s official daily service of prayer (sometimes called the “Daily Office”).  

It can also be read privately, and informally.  To do so requires some preparation: a Prayer Book and Bible.

Look up that day in the table of “Psalms and Lessons for the Christian year” at the beginning of the Prayer Book (pp x – xlv).  Mark the psalms in the Prayer Book and lessons in the Bible for the service you are about to say. 

Mark the Collect of the day (usually that of the previous Sunday, unless it is a holy day). 

Follow the service, inserting psalms, lessons, and collect as indicated.  Morning Prayer begins with on page 6, Evening Prayer on page 23. 

Simple Morning and Evening Prayer reduces the complexity and length of the service.  Suggested elements:

• Confession (page 6 or 23), 
• A psalm and a lesson (selected from the Table on pp x – xlv), 
• One canticle (Benedictus p. 14 in the Morning, Magnificat p. 26 in the afternoon, Nunc Dimittis p. 28 in the late evening), 
• Apostles’ Creed (p. 15 or 29) 
• Lord’s Prayer 
• Collect of the day (usually that of previous Sunday)
• Second and third collects (for Morning p. 17, for Evening p. 31). 
• General Thanksgiving (p. 19 or 33) and other prayers as desired.

“Forms of Prayer to be used in Families”

In the Prayer Book pp 587-593 are simpler still, but pithy!

“A-C-T-S”

This formula outlines a way of praying in your own words which is still balanced.  It is best when grounded in a meditative reading of Scripture.

A – Adoration. Lift up your mind and heart to God in wonder, love, and praise for the greatness of his goodness revealed in his Son Jesus Christ.

C – Confession. before his divine majesty, our sins are exposed:  confess them as your own, with full purpose of amendment.

T – Thanksgiving. Give thanks to God not only for the blessings of this life but for his love in the redemption of the world by Christ, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.  In gratitude, offer and dedicate yourself to his service.

S – Supplication. Ask for such gifts and graces both bodily and spiritual which he has promised in his Word and which you need to serve him.

Seven Penitential Psalms

One for each of the “seven deadly sins” (Pride, Envy, Anger, Avarice, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth).  Traditionally prayed during Lent:  6, 32, 38 (in the morning), 51 (at noon), 102, 130, 143 (in the afternoon).

Almsgiving

…is the giving of money (or other goods) for the relief of need, either bodily or spiritual.  If fasting exercises our faith in God’s word, and prayer our hope in God’s promise, almsgiving exercises our charity in obedience to God’s commandments of love.  Fasting corrects excessive love of self, Prayer directs us to love of God, Almsgiving directs us to sacrificial love of neighbour.  To be a spiritual discipline, almsgiving should be done by rule:  make a commitment to yourself about how much and how often.

Dangers along the Way

Spiritual disciplines are not easy.  The six weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter Eve are long – long enough to make a lasting impact, but also requiring patient endurance, perseverance and courage.  It is easy to become discouraged (by difficulty, by failure) and to give up – in which case the Devil has won another victory.

Disdain to be discouraged! Recognize the discouragement for what it is, and take a stand against it.   Recognize that in every failure, God is teaching you a lesson in humility – learn it!  Remember that the saints are just as prone to fall as you are:  the only difference is that they waste no time repenting and returning to the discipline.

If failure tempts us to despair, success in the spiritual disciplines also has its dangers:  vain-glory (impressing others with your accomplishments, seeking or enjoying their admiration) and pride (thinking that you have done these things by yourself and not by the grace of God).   Recognize these as snares of the Devil.

Remember your baptism, wherein you were washed from your sins to lead a new life as a member of Christ, the child of God, and the inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.  Remember also the sign of the cross that was made on your forehead:  “in token that hereafter [you] should not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ’s soldier and servant unto [your] life’s end”.  Remember always, as the 1662 Prayer Book service exhorts, “that Baptism representeth our profession; which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ , and to be made like unto him; that like as he died, and rose again for us; so should we, who are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness; continually mortifying [putting to death] all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding [increasing] in all virtue and godliness of living.”