Preparing for Easter when You’ve Failed Lent
- Theresa Linden
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Well, it’s over. Another forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving draw to a close. How did you do?
Did you go into Lent with good intentions, but then human weakness prevailed? Did you put off making any Lenten goals at all, and now we’re three days from Easter? Did the very thought of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving make you cling to worldliness and comfort?
If somewhere inside you want to draw closer to God and you want to become the person He made you to be, then have no fear. As long as you draw breath, it is never too late to begin again to prepare for Jesus.
“Let us begin again, for up until now have done nothing.”—St. Francis of Assisi
If you read Catholic Teen Books anthology, Ashes: Visible & Invisible, you’ve encountered many Lenten themes and much inspiration from the characters and their stories.
My short story “Prepare the Way” takes place at the time of Christ. Fourteen-year-old Asher wants to prepare for the long-awaited Messiah, but he’s not sure how. Most Jews prepare through rituals and deepening their understanding of scriptures. The Zealots favor action, aggressively revolting against Roman rule. But a lone prophet in the desert calls for a different
kind of preparation: repentance.
John the Baptist helped prepare the way of the Lord by inviting everyone to receive a baptism of repentance. Lent is meant to be a time of repentance. Repentance calls for a deep and honest look at oneself. This should lead to heartfelt sorrow for one’s sins, a desire to reconcile with God, and a commitment to change one’s life.
So even if you’ve messed up this Lent, you can still recover the most important aspect right now. Repent. Failure reminds us that we are weak, that we can’t do some things on our own, and that we desperately need a Savior. We desperately need Jesus.
Here are some ways to begin again and to make the most of these last moments before Easter:
Make a thorough examination of conscience. Find somewhere you can be alone in prayer with God. Admit that you are weak, that you have fallen many times, that you have failed to make a good effort this Lent, and that you are in great need of the Savior.
Go to Confession. Jesus brings His mercy and forgiveness to us in this sacrament. You become a new person, strengthened by grace, and ready to begin again! Check your local church bulletin or MassTimes.org for Confession times.
Attend Holy Thursday Mass. Holy Thursday is the first day of the holiest days of the year, the Holy Triduum. It commemorates the first Mass and the institution of the Holy Eucharist and much more (see this article for more)
Plan your Good Friday so that you can fast successfully, pray more, and attend the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion or Stations of the Cross.
Plan how to spend Holy Saturday so that you can best prepare for the great Easter feast. Spend more time in silence and prayer. Prepare for your family’s Easter celebrations.
Consider which Easter Mass you will attend: Easter Vigil or Easter day. Invite family and friends to join you. Bring a monetary donation for your Lenten almsgiving.
Contemplate the Easter mystery. Read Gospel accounts of the Resurrection or watch classic Jesus movies that tell the story. Look up the Resurrection in the Catechism of the Catholic Church or read Easter-themed blogs or devotional books. This is the holiest day of the year. It’s the reason for every Sunday Mass. It’s the Good News. Jesus triumphed over death for our salvation, giving us hope of eternal life in heaven!
Don’t forget—we celebrate Easter for 50 days, all the way to Pentecost Sunday. So even if Lent didn’t go the way you’d hoped, the Easter season gives you a new opportunity to begin again with purpose and joy. And if after reading Ashes: Visible & Invisible, you’ve found that faith-filled fiction inspires you on the spiritual journey, be sure to visit CatholicTeenBooks.com You’ll find stories with characters that struggle with faults and challenges and with themes that reveal the path to spiritual growth: admitting our weakness, turning to God, and offering Him our very best.
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”–St. Augustine
Prayer obtains everything. Regardless of how well you spent Lent, you can always begin again. You can begin today. Right now. Turn your heart to Jesus and ask for the grace. God wants us to be holy, so He stands ready with all the grace we need to be saints.
Thank you for joining us on the Lenten Journey. We wish you a very special Holy Week.
About the author: Theresa Linden is the author of award-winning Catholic fiction. One of her great joys is to bring elements of the Catholic faith to life through a story. She writes contemporary, fantasy, dystopian, and suspense stories for adults, teens, and children. Her books have won awards from the Catholic Press Association and have the Catholic Writers’ Guild Seal of Approval. She is a member of CatholicTeenBooks.com and the Catholic Writers’ Guild. More of her books can be found at SilverFirePublishing.com
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