Here comes Lent...

Uh-oh, Lent's coming again.  Really soon.  What am I going to do this year?

For some reason, everytime I realise Lent's just around the corner it sends me into a mild state of panic.  What should I give up?  Should I do something instead?  I just don't know!!!

Okay, calm.  This is not a time to panic, this is a time of purification, of sanctification.
A time to try and make yourself a better person.
Think New Years Resolution, but better (well, actually I've never been a huge one for NY resolutions, so that's not much of a comparison for me...)

It's a time to look at your life.  What are you overly attached to?  What do you feel like you couldn't cope without?  Material things?  Food? Maybe it's time to try and deal with that attachment.

Traditionally for Lent you should participate in fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Fasting:

I've already done a post on one idea for fasting, although of course there's always the ever popular giving up chocolate or cigarettes or whatever may take your fancy.
I've already given up quite a lot lately in terms of food, but this Lent I'm going to try and make sure I only snack on food I've made myself.  It should be healthier, I'll hopefully lose some more weight, and save some money.  And, of course, while I'm busy making food with my own hands, I can spend more time being thankful for the food I have, for the kitchen in which I can make it, and for the very fact that I'm able to make food.

Almsgiving:

Almsgiving is giving to the poor.  Donating to charity.  Doing something out of kindness.
So this could be a good opportunity for taking something up.  Perhaps you could find a local soup kitchen and donate some time there. Perhaps you could just give some money to charity. Next time you walk past a homeless person in the street you could offer to buy them some food or give them a coffee?
This Lent I'm going to try and do at least one RAK (random act of kindness) per day. I've no idea what they will be right now, but I shall try and keep the blog updated with what they are and how I do.

Prayer:

As one of my 30 before 30 is to try and say morning and evening prayer every day for a month, Lent seems like the perfect time to start.  Mind you, I say this often, and often fail fairly quickly, so let's find out whether having told you guys I'm going to do this will give me the encouragement I need.

As an additional thing, and I may do a fuller post on this in the future, lately I've been feeling a pull in my heart towards veiling during Mass and in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  Whether this will be a long term thing I really do not know, but to help with my discernment, I have decided to ensure my head is covered whenever I go to church during Lent.

There are some fabulous blog posts around regarding this topic, and I've linked to a few of my favourites below:
http://www.lauramcalister.com/2013/07/16/should-i-veil-a-debate-between-me-my-brain/ - This pretty much feels like where my brain is at right now.
http://www.conversiondiary.com/2013/02/notes-from-beneath-the-veil.html
http://chastityproject.com/2014/05/veiled-sake-angels/

So how about you?  what are your plans for this Lent?