Fr. Mark-Mary shares 3 ways to be more intentional this Lent.
What does it mean to be more intentional? Living intentionally is basically just living on purpose. In other words, it’s living every day according to your specific identity and vocation. We can live intentionally when we discover who we are, where we are headed, and how we are meant to get there. We are all sons and daughters of God, and we are all meant to strive towards eternal life in heaven, but how we get there is different for each person.
We are all called to be formed in Christ, and Lent is the perfect time for this formation. It’s a time when we can sit back, removing certain worldly goods from our lives, and really focus on how God wants us to live. When we do this, we are living intentionally, surrendering everything to God and asking him, “Lord, what are you calling me to do today?”
And this doesn’t mean that we have to remove all spontaneity from our lives. It simply means that we are living with the knowledge of who we are, where we are going, and how we will get there.
Here are 3 ways we can live intentionally this Lent:
1) Reduce Online Shopping
Be careful not to buy things just when you’re looking for things to do. Instead of using your money on things you really don’t need, try practicing almsgiving and donate that money towards a good cause. It’s not about eliminating online shopping, it’s about doing it intentionally.
2) Reduce Time on Social Media
A lot of our phones have this awesome screen-time feature that allows us to set parameters for our social media and online use. Try to set some time in the day that can be your social media time, instead of hopping on throughout the day. Having this specific time set aside will prevent us from getting swept up in scrolling, and will help to prioritize our day around the things we need to do. Again, it’s not about getting rid of it all together, but just about using our time intentionally.
3) Be Intentional with Prayer
Create a prayer schedule. Even if it’s just committing yourself to 5 minutes of prayer in the morning, or before you go to bed, create a healthy routine of listening to God and asking him to guide your day. In order for us to live intentionally and become who we are meant to be, it’s essential that we pray. It’s through prayer that the Lord tells us how we are meant to get to eternal life with him, and if we don’t listen to how God wants us to live, we won’t be able to live intentionally.
Lent is the perfect time to reform our souls and get closer to God. Let’s ask him to help us to be intentional this Lent, so that we may live our life for the glory of Heaven.
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Meet Fr. Mark-Mary
Father Mark-Mary was ordained as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal (CFR) in 2018 and lives at a friary in the Bronx.
The mission of the CFRs is to wholeheartedly embrace Jesus through fidelity to the Church and her Sacraments. Paired with their commitment to prayer, contemplation, and study of Sacred Scripture, the CFRs serve those around them, especially the poor, in the footsteps of Christ.
Discover beautiful music from the CFRs and Fr. Mark-Mary’s book Habits for Holiness: Small Steps for Spiritual Progress, both available from Ascension.
