Lent is just around the corner. Just two weeks away, in fact.
This is the perfect time to not only start thinking about what you’re going to give up — but it’s also a good time to plan how you’ll invite other students on your campus to deepen their faith this Lent.
Without further ado, here are some ideas to use Lent as your mission level-up!
1. Do a Lenten Bible study, or read a spiritual book together as a group.
As far as Bible studies go, there’s no better way to prepare for Lent than to work through The Crux, to follow Christ crucified and remember how extravagant His love is that He would die for us. You could also do a study on the five Sorrowful Mysteries.
You could also work through other books with your group, such as Diary of St. Faustina (perfect for the Year of Mercy), Consoling the Heart of Jesus by Fr. Michael Gaitley or He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek, just to name a few.
2. Invite someone to Mass.
If you’re going to Sunday or daily Mass, invite someone to go with you and go out for coffee or food after!
3. Invite someone to go to confession with you.
No, I don’t mean bring someone into the same stall/room while you confess your sins. But confession can be kind of weird for someone who hasn’t gone in a long time or who doesn’t quite understand how beautiful it is. So next time you go, invite them to go with you. It could put them at ease!
4. Invite someone to go to adoration.
Adoration is a powerful experience, so invite a friend to come along!
5. Pray the Stations of the Cross with students.
Invite a friend, or a whole group, to pray the Stations of the Cross together on Fridays during Lent. You could even make it a part of your group’s Lenten practice!
6. Start a fasting/sacrifice accountability group.
This could be as simple as just having an accountability buddy during Lent to help you keep your Lenten practices in check — but you could also have your Bible study/small group keep one another accountable by friendly reminders and maybe giving up the same things.
7. Pray together.
It’s kind of obvious, but it’s a good practice to ask people to pray for you and to pray for others as well. If you need help with how to pray, check this out. Ask friends to do this with you — or in your Bible study, you can end your time by sharing prayer intentions with one another.
8. Serve the poor together.
Get the gang together to serve in local soup kitchens, pray in front of abortion clinics and/or visit elderly homes or hospitals. If you need help thinking of ways to serve, the Corporal Works of Mercy is a good place to start.
9. Fish fry.
Classic. Plan a fish fry or soup dinner around Friday’s Stations of the Cross throughout Lent — it’s a fantastic way to build community!
(If you can only manage a fast food outing, here’s a shameless plug for our reviews of all the fish sandwiches offered at fast food restaurants!)
How will you use Lent to help your mission on campus?