Lent is a season for disciples to grow in holiness

"St. Diego Giving Alms" by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, c.1645 (Public Domain)

By Marco Roman, Ph.D.

Director of Communications

Lent is not merely a time of self-denial; it is a privileged season of disciplined discipleship, in which the Church calls us to strive intentionally for holiness and deeper union with Christ.

Each year, the Church calls us back to the Gospel with urgency and tenderness: urgency because sin dulls our hearts; tenderness because Christ never stops inviting us to deeper communion with him. Lent, therefore, is a season for continuing and maturing discipleship—a time when we are both challenged and encouraged to become more fully what we were made to be in Christ.

Jesus begins his public ministry with a clear summons that defines every Lent: “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). This is not a momentary conversion but a lifelong journey. The Christian life is not static; disciples are meant to grow, deepen, and be purified. As St. Paul reminds us, “We are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3:18). Lent gives us a concentrated time to cooperate with this work of transformation.

Dr. Marco Roman

The catechism and the meaning of Lent

The Catechism of the Catholic Church situates Lent within the Church’s liturgical rhythm as a time of interior renewal and preparation for Easter. In speaking of the liturgical year, the Catechism teaches that Lent is ordered toward repentance, conversion and a more profound participation in Christ’s Paschal Mystery (CCC 540; 1095). It is a season in which the Church accompanies the Lord into the desert—not to escape the world, but to be strengthened for mission within it.

Lent, therefore, is not a retreat from discipleship but its intensification. Mature disciples do not simply “give something up”; they allow the Holy Spirit to reorder their loves so that Christ stands at the center of their lives.

Prayer: deepening communion with Christ

The first great Lenten discipline is prayer. The Catechism reminds us that prayer is “a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God” (CCC 2558). Lent invites us to move beyond routine prayer, toward an intentional, sustained, personal encounter with the Lord.

Jesus himself teaches that prayer is the heart of discipleship: “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret” (Mt 6:6). Mature disciples learn to create real space for God—not only in moments of crisis, but as a daily habit of love and friendship.

This is where fasting becomes deeply connected to prayer. We do not fast merely to test our willpower; we fast to free our hearts and make more time and room for God. If we give up unnecessary distractions—excessive screen time, social media, constant entertainment or over-scheduling—we gain precious silence in which the Lord can speak.

Here, a simple personal reflection may be helpful. Many of us, including myself, readily devote three or four hours each week to the gym in order to care for our physical and mental well-being. We plan for it, protect time, and accept the discipline because we know our bodies and minds need it. If we are that intentional about our physical health, how much more should we be willing to give the same amount of time to our spiritual well-being—to prayer, scripture, Adoration or silent listening before the Lord? Lent challenges us to bring that same intentionality, consistency and generosity to the care of our souls.

In practical terms, this Lent might invite each of us to ask:

• Where can I simplify my life to pray more?

• Can fasting from something result in more room for daily Mass, Scripture or quiet prayer?

• How can my family pray together more intentionally this season?

Fasting: training the heart of a disciple

The Catechism teaches that fasting helps us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart (CCC 2043). Christian fasting is not self-punishment; it is spiritual training. Just as athletes discipline their bodies to compete well, disciples discipline their desires to love well.

Jesus warns us that fasting must be sincere, not performative: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites” (Mt 6:16). The goal is not appearance but conversion.

For mature disciples, fasting is most fruitful when it is ordered toward charity and prayer. This means choosing sacrifices that sharpen our focus on God and others rather than ourselves. A meaningful Lenten fast should make us more patient, more attentive, more generous and more prayerful.

Almsgiving: Love in Action

If prayer turns our hearts to God and fasting purifies our desires, almsgiving directs our love outward in concrete charity. The Catechism describes almsgiving as a work of mercy that witnesses to fraternal charity and justice (CCC 2447).

Jesus places almsgiving at the center of authentic discipleship: “Give alms… for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:19–21). Lent asks us to examine not only what we spend, but what we value.

In the Diocese of Boise, this has particular pastoral significance. Mature disciples are called to support both their local parish and the broader mission of the Diocese, which serves the poor, forms youth and families, supports Catholic schools, cares for immigrants and refugees, and proclaims the Gospel throughout Idaho.

This Lent is an opportunity to ask:

• How can my family give more intentionally to our parish?

• Can we redirect part of our discretionary spending toward charity?

• How might our sacrifices strengthen the ministries of the Diocese?

Salt and Light in a Lenten World

Jesus calls His disciples to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Mt 5:13–16). Lent does not draw us inward for our own sake; it prepares us to shine more brightly in the world.

Mature disciples do not merely survive Lent—they witness through it. Our patience, generosity, prayerfulness and joy become a quiet proclamation of Christ to those around us. In workplaces, schools, families and parishes, our Lenten discipline should make others ask: “What gives them that peace, serenity and evident conviction that draws others to inquire — and to friendship?”

A Season of Growth, Not Perfection

Finally, Lent is not about proving our spiritual excellence but deepening our dependence on grace. The Church walks this journey with us—through the Sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist—so that Christ Himself forms us more fully in His image.

As we begin this holy season, let us embrace Lent not as a burden, but as a gift: a time to grow, mature and be renewed as disciples who pray more deeply, fast more wisely and give more generously for the life of the Church in the Diocese of Boise.

May this Lent draw us closer to Christ, deepen our love for His Church and prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter.