How do Catholics pray during Lent?

Answer 1

Lent is a period of fasting prior to Easter (or, for Orthodox, Pascha). It is a time of preparation for the feast of the Resurrection of Christ. Lent is primarily observed by Orthodox and Roman Catholics; though some Protestants also observe Lent, there is no standard tradition of observance in Protestant denominations. The specific manner of observance varies not only between Catholics and Orthodox, but between different groups or even individuals within each church. In general, the Lenten fast involves abstaining from certain foods, as well as giving up various worldly pleasures. This is not to be done in a spirit of morbidity, but expectation, as in the words of the Orthodox hymn: Let us begin the lenten time with delight … let us fast from passions as we fast from food, taking pleasure in the good words of the Spirit, that we may be granted to see the holy passion of Christ our God and his holy Pascha, spiritually rejoicing.

Answer 2

Catholics celebrate Holy week because Jesus died on this week.

That doesn't answer "how" it just answers "why." We Catholics celebrate Holy Week by

A. Praying

B. Fasting

C. Some Catholics go on evangelizing missions

Answer 3

Catholics celebrate such feasts as Christmas and Easter. They do not celebrate Lent, they observe Lent with fasting and abstinence from meat on appointed days.

Catholics celebrate lent by fasting, or giving something up. such as certain food, or sweets or maybe ones phone. It just depends but what ever they give up is something that they like or use a lot, so they have to suffer a little for Christ. In fact, all Christians should observe Lent.
The Catholic Church and many other Christians Churches follow the Biblical practice of Jesus Christ and the Jews in setting aside days where the entire Church fasts and prays as one in a attitude of constant renewal.

By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert and in spiritual preparation for the celebration of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

This season of penance is an intense moment of the Church's penitential practice and are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and charitable and missionary works.

The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches also observe the season of Lent. Many modern Protestant Churches consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation.

Also people love to eat

Answer 4

Lent is a season of special preparation for Easter involving extra prayer and penance. The bare minimum of penance is prescribed by the Church as fast and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstinence on all Fridays. Many people try to attend daily Mass throughout Lent, and pray the Stations of the Cross. People also try to give up something extra, something that is normally allowed them, they are giving it up for Our Blessed Lord as a special offering. Also, if people have been away from regular confession, this is the time of year when they make a special effort to get back to it.

Answer 5

Roman Catholic AnswerLent is a season of penance when we try more perfectly and with more fervent devotion to conform our lives to Our Blessed Lord's, particularly considering his forty days of fasting and prayer in the desert. Most Catholics try to make regular attendance at daily Mass a part of their Lenten discipline, they try to deny something to themselves in a spirit of penance, and they try to give of themselves and their resources to help others, particularly the poor more and more intensely then they do throughout the rest of the year. They try to make the Stations of the Cross on a regular basis throughout Lent, and other extra prayers, perhaps extending their daily meditation time.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice (Cf. Sacrosanctum concilium109-110; Codex Iuris Canonici, cann. 1249-1253; Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina {Turnhout, 1953-}, cann. 880-883) These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, an fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).

Answer 6

The Catholic Church and many other Christians Churches follow the Biblical practice of Jesus Christ and the Jews in setting aside days where the entire Church fasts and prays as one in a attitude of constant renewal. By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert and in spiritual preparation for the celebration of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. This season of penance is an intense moment of the Church's penitential practice and are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and charitable and missionary works. The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches also observe the season of Lent. Many modern Protestant Churches consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation.

Answer 7

During Lent, Catholics try to discern the meaning of Christ's salvation for them. This can be a time of renewal, as they spend time in prayer and meditation attempting to focus on the impending celebration of Christ's Passion and Death, and his subsequent Resurrection, releasing us all from the chains of Sin. Most Catholics will try to give up something for Lent, as an ongoing reminder of the process of discernment that they embrace on Ash Wednesday. It is important that they stay focused.

Roman Catholic AnswerLent is traditionally a time when Catholics attempt to live their Christianity more fervently. So the works of mercy, (see Matt 25:31) to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to visit the prisoners, to shelter the homeless, to visit the sick, to bury the dead are particularly important. Most important are prayer, fasting, and alms giving as the ways Our Blessed Lord told us we are to conform our lives to His. At a bare minimum the Church requires abstinence on all Fridays of Lent, and Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Answer 8

Catholic Answer

If you go to the end of the answer you will find the Church's legal requirements for Lent. Right here is a list of "classic Lenten practices" put out by Tan, a Catholic publisher:

The classic Lenten practices are:

1) prayer

2) fasting

3) almsgiving

One of the saints said that fasting is better than prayer, and almsgiving surpasses both. By relieving the poor, he himself will be relieved of his sins.

Other specific acts, some especially for our present day world:

1) Abstinence

2) Fasting

3) T.V. - limit or eliminate it all together

4) Prayer, especially the daily rosary

a) An extra Mass or more each week - the Holy Sacrifice is the greatest prayer there is.

b) A Holy Hour once a week, twice a week, or each day. (Matt 26:40). This is probably the most underrated devotion in the Church!

c) Pray for those in Purgatory.

d) Pray for those in danger of dying without being in a state of grace

e) Pray for anyone you may have had the misfortune to lead into sin

f) Pray for an end to abortion.

g) Pray for peace in the world.

h) Pray for priests - The devil is after them more than anyone else because they help us with our salvation.

5) Go to Confession once a week

6) Examine your conscience every night

7) Do penance - Our Lord has made it perfectly clear that penance is necessary for salvation (Luke 13:3, Matt 3:2, Luke 21:36, Judith 4:11

8) Perform good works:

Visit the sick

Visit people in nursing homes once a week

Counsel, pick or pray at abortion clinics

Join in the Pro-Life Rescue effort.

Take someone to Mass with you on Sundays.

Get someone with a marriage problem to see a priest.

9) Give alms:

Increase your donation at Church.

give to cloistered monasteries and convents in your area.

Support good Catholic schools.

Support crisis pregnancy centers.

Support local soup kitchens.

Help those who are poor.

10) Do Apostolic work:

Take someone to Mass with you.

Take someone to Confession with you.

Invite someone to become a Catholic--start talking to him about it.

Get him to a priest for instruction.

Get a priest to visit a fallen-away Catholic, especially an elderly one

Distribute Catholic books and booklets.

Distribute prayer cards and leaflets.

11) Engage in spiritual reading

Require yourself to do at least 15 minutes of reading from a good Catholic book each day

Read your Bible at least 15 minutes each day.

Read from the life of a Saint for at least 15 minutes day day. (These are the heroes and heroines we should imitate.

12) Consecrate your life to God and renew the consecration each day. Or, consecrate yourself to God through the Blessed Virgin and read about and begin to practiced "True Devotion to Mary" by St. Louis De Montfort, one of the Church's greatest classics.

From Tan Books and Publishers

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Lent. The season of prayer and penance before Easter. Its purpose is to better prepare the faithful for the feast of the Resurrection, and dispose them for a more fruitful reception of the graces that Christ merited by his passion and death.

In the Latin Rite, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues for forty days, besides Sundays, until Easter Sunday [note: actually Lent ends before the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday]. Ash Wednesday occurs on any day from February 4 to Mark 11, depending on the date of Easter.

Originally the period of fasting in preparation for Easter did not, as a rule, exceed two or three days. But by the time of the Council of Niceaea (325) forty days were already customary. And ever since, this length of time has been associated with Christ's forty-day fast in the desert before beginning his public life.

According to the prescription of Pope Paul VI, in revising the Church's laws of fast and abstinence, "The time of Lent preserves its penitential character. The days of penitence to be observed under obligation throughout the Church are all Fridays and Ash Wednesday, that is to say the first days of Great Lent, according to the diversity of rites. Their substantial observance binds gravely." (Paenitemini III, norm II).

Besides fast and abstinence on specified days, the whole Lenten season is to be penitential, with stress on prayer, reception of the sacraments, almsgiving, and the practice of charity. (Etym. Anglo-Saxon lengten, lencten, spring, Lent.)

Answer 9

give something up to remember how Jesus fasted for 40 day and 40 nights.