Brother Francis Blog — Ash Wednesday
The True Meaning of "Giving Something Up"
By Allison Gingras
As a child, you may have thought Lent meant giving up chocolate. Helping children understand the blessing of all three Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving can enhance the entire family’s Lenten experience.
Explaining Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving to Kids
Alms Ash Wednesday Fasting Lent Prayer
By Colleen Pressprich
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three pillars of Lent, meant to guide us deeper into this penitential season. As adults, this can come naturally to us, but when it comes to explaining it to our children and engaging them in the activities, that can be trickier.
Celebrating Ash Wednesday as a Family
Ash Wednesday Lent Mass Rosary
By Anne Metz
On Ash Wednesday, my family skips school in the morning and heads to Mass. We started this tradition when our kids were very small because making it to the 7 pm Mass just didn’t work for our triplets’ early bedtime.
Even though my kids are now old enough to stay awake for the evening Mass, we continue our tradition of going to Mass in the morning. On a normal Wednesday, my children would be in school all day. But Ash Wednesday is not a normal Wednesday. This day is different, set aside.