Lent will be upon us soon, and likely with it, our self-designed plans for asceticism. If you’re like me, you are prone to creating far-flung lists of new and renewed disciplines that, one or two weeks into Lent, buckle and collapse under the weight of the “lather, rinse, repeat” cycle of daily life.
Monotony. Routine. Repetition. These words hover over the thousand-and-one daily tasks and responsibilities that every parent faces, always threatening to define and denigrate our august calling to marriage and family. Then we glance at our phones and see what our culture celebrates: everything new, innovative, groundbreaking, disruptive.
A recent Pew study attests to our society’s downgrading of the family, revealing that only 21 percent of parents find it “very important” that their children get married and have children. By contrast, 88 percent of parents view it as “very important” that their kids “have jobs or careers they enjoy.”
Tweeting about the study, scholar Brad Wilcox summarized it this way: “Today’s parents are prioritizing Money & Work > Marriage and Parenthood for their own kids. Spells real trouble long-term for the future of the family.”
In other words, many parents today struggle to find meaning, purpose, and joy in the “give us this day our daily bread” part of marriage and family. Even with the exquisite gift of their own children within eyesight, only one in five parents see their kid’s future marriage and family as “very important.”
What is going on here? [Read the rest of the column here at the Arlington Catholic Herald.]
> Pope Francis’ Angelus message this past Sunday is an inspiring read just before Lent begins. He said, “Brothers and sisters, God’s love is a love always in excess, always beyond calculation, always disproportionate. And today he also asks us to live in this way, because only in this way will we truly bear witness to him.”
> In “Leaning into Lent: Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Tips for a Fruitful Penitential Season” (National Catholic Register), Fr. Mike Schmitz says, “When considering fasting, we can ask: ‘What do I need to get rid of in order to be more free to love and serve the Lord?'”
> “Challenge Your Kids to Embrace a ‘Carlos Acutis’ Lent” (Aleteia) includes a challenge to dial down the amount of screen-time.
> In “Find Silence” (Arlington Catholic Herald), Elizabeth Foss writes, “We need to wake up to the wonder of silence.”
> If you’re in the Manassas area, we hope to see you this Thursday evening! At 7 pm on Thursday, Feb. 23rd, we’ll share our Heaven in Your Home Workshop (part 2 in a three-part series) at All Saints Catholic School in Manassas. Our theme will be “Unlocking the 5 Levels of Catholic Family Life.” The event is free and open to all parents! We’ll help you to start Lent on the right foot, as you seek to spiritually lead your family. Learn more here.
> For those in the Diocese of Arlington, it’s not too late to register for the annual diocesan men’s and women’s conferences. This Lent, consider participating in these inspirational opportunities to deepen your faith: You’ll find more info on the men’s conference (March 4 at St. Joseph’s in Herndon) here and the women’s conference (March 11 at St. Joseph’s) here. 
> Are you in or near Leesburg, VA? Come visit with the Seminarians from Mt. St. Mary Seminary, volunteering at Trinity House Café until May. (Click to see a larger version.)
“It’s so nice to have a parish activity for the whole family—not just the moms, dads, or kids.”
– Participant of the St. John’s Trinity House Community Group, Leesburg
