Lenten Live Series 2026 #1 – Spiritual Formation

by Anne, ARK

Lent is a time to re-focus our souls. We are eternal beings designed to share our earthly experience with God, and Lent reminds us to re-align ourselves along this trajectory.

We push back against anything stealing our peace or causing us anxiety.

We look at our rhythms of life. What are the rhythms by which our days are measured? Do they promote heavenly dispositions in us? Is Contemplative Prayer included in this rhythm?

God invites us into intimacy. We make ourselves available for him through prayer and the sacraments. We must examine what is troubling us; we can neutralize temptation in Contemplative Prayer by allowing truth to override our temptations.
Death has no sting for us. We should feel open to talk freely about Heaven, Purgatory, and God’s plan for those around us. We should not think we have to be perfect because God is perfect and we are on a journey to God, despite our imperfections.

Our crosses do not disappear because we dislike them. We can handle our crosses and sufferings with dignity and acceptance. We strive to look at our day through a lens of joy, not focusing too intently on our crosses. Don’t carry your cross in such a way that it blocks your ability to see all that is good in the rest of your life. Our crosses develop us and strengthen us.

What gives you joy? What gives you energy?

Make that part of your everyday rhythm of life.

We strive to take our identity from God’s eyes. 

We are called to see Christ in the daily grind, in the struggles to do the right thing.

We need to be reverent about our gifts. Finances, for example. Are we short of money? Or is our relationship with money the problem? Let’s be curious about our gifts and how we are being asked to use them.

We should strive to be ourselves, authentic to who we are. We strive to make decisions based on trust, not fear. Let us learn to look honestly at our fears and put them up against our trust for resolution. We want to have calm thoughts and a calm mind.