Imagine that, Lent has snuck up on me again.  I swear, every year, I know exactly when Lent begins, but I fool myself into thinking “oh, it’s weeks away, I’ve got plenty of time” but then I don’t have as much time as I think I do.

Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship is hosting a link up for us to talk about what we may be giving up or doing extra this year for Lent. I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to get out of Lent this year.  Every year, it flies by so fast, but the time Good Friday rolls around, I feel like I’ve let the Lord down, yet again.

Katie suggested something the other day that I thought was interesting.  If you give up eating in between meals, for example, and your stomach growls reminding you that you should be eating, instead of grumbling about it or forgetting and going get something to eat, pray instead.  So, “gurggle, I’m hungry, feed me” is a reminder to say a prayer.  Well, I have a really really really bad habit of biting the inside of my cheek.  Mostly I bite the right side.  It’s like I can’t stop once I start.  I have desperately wanted to break this habit, but seem unable to.  I figure, every time I go to bite the inside of my cheek during Lent, I’ll say a prayer for the souls in Purgatory, especially those in my family who have died.  Two good things could come from this.  I’ll give up this bad habit or souls are all the closer to obtaining the Beatific Vision.

Last night as I lay in bed,  I remembered something a priest once said in a homily about a mother he knew.  She would set her alarm clock for midnight every night and pray over her children as they slept.  Because of her sacrifice, one son became a priest and two daughters became nuns.  I think I may add this in my Lenten sacrifices, because God knows how much I value my sleep.  My son is going through a difficult time and I think we can both use extra prayers.

I also plan to attend Mass one extra day during the week besides Sunday.  I’m leaning towards Thursday mornings.  Now that I know my schedule @ work will be M/W/Fr I can plan accordingly.  A Parish in town has a 9:00am Mass with Our Lady of Perpetual Help’s Novena after the 9:00am Mass.  I had wanted to add in an hour of Adoration, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen this year.

On Wednesdays and Fridays I’m going to give up coffee.  I’d say I’d give it up for the whole 6 weeks, but I always fail when I try to go full throttle.  So instead, I’ll do two days per week.  I’m also going to try and remember to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries every day during Lent, but I struggle so much with the Rosary, I don’t know if I can do this.

Of course these are on top of meatless Fridays, Mass on Sundays, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil Mass.

Are you looking for more ideas on what to do for Lent?  Why not pop over to Katie’s blog and see what others are doing.