THE LENTEN SENSE MARATHON
History
The
Lenten Sense Marathon began in 2002 as a way to reinvigorate the season
of Lent. It accomplished its goal of helping participants to be more
closely united to the suffering of Jesus during Lent and to experience
His risen joy more fully during the Easter season. Because of the
intensity of the program, the participant is regularly calling to mind
Jesus’ suffering. Then during Easter, the participant is regularly
calling to mind Jesus’ resurrection because of the return of all of the
small joys that were given up for the Lenten season. The LSM has grown
and spread over the past 5 years, bearing good fruit in the spiritual
lives of those who participate.
What is Lenten Sense Marathon & how does it work?
The
Lenten Sense Marathon is designed to help the faithful grow closer to
the suffering Jesus during the season of Lent. It is unique in two
ways:
1) The individual makes sacrifices for each of the 5 senses, thereby experiencing Lent on a variety of levels
2) The
individual adds on sacrifices as the season of Lent progresses, taking
on more sacrifices and growing closer to the cross of Jesus as Holy Week
and the Triduum approach
Some
of the ideas are also fresh and creative, and having a new approach to
Lent can help it to be as penitential of a season as possible.
Before
Ash Wednesday, complete the chart below. Fill in two sacrifices for
each of the five senses and also list an extra practice that you will do
once it is drawn. Sacrifices may be things you give up or holy
practices to take on. You may use or adapt any of the ideas listed or
create your own. The idea is to pick things that are very REAL
challenges for YOU! Once you have your chart completed, make 11 slips
of paper and on each one, write a category (ex. sight 1, sight 2,
hearing 1, hearing 2, etc.). Throw all 11 of the categories (slips of
paper) into a cup or an envelope where you will keep them throughout all
of Lent. On the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras), draw one
slip out of the cup. Read what category is on that slip, and now refer
back to the chart you already
completed. What
sacrifice did you write in the box for that category? This is the
sacrifice you will begin on Ash Wednesday. This is the sacrifice you
will make for the entire Lenten season. Every four days, you draw
another category out of the cup, and you add on each sacrifice as it is
drawn. Note: do not trade
one sacrifice for the next; simply take on an additional sacrifice
every four days. By the time it is Holy Thursday, you will be doing all
11 sacrifices! The schedule for when to begin a new sacrifice is
below. It is recommended to draw the category the night before you
begin it…that way you know in advance what sacrifice begins the
following morning.
Ash Wednesday – sacrifice #1 begins
Sunday of the first week of Lent – sacrifice #2 begins
Thursday of the first week of Lent – sacrifice #3 begins
Monday of the second week of Lent – sacrifice #4 begins
Friday of the second week of Lent – sacrifice #5 begins
Tuesday of the third week of Lent – sacrifice #6 begins
Saturday of the third week of Lent – sacrifice #7 begins
Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent – sacrifice #8 begins
Sunday of the fifth week of Lent – sacrifice #9 begins
Thursday of the fifth week of Lent – sacrifice #10 begins
Monday of the Holy Week of Lent – sacrifice #11 begins
Holy Week until after the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday = all 11 sacrifices!
Because
each person fills out his/her own chart, groups of people can
participate together and just have one person draw the categories. What
is written in each box will vary from person to person, but the same
“categories” can begin at the same time. (For example, a family of nine
might have one person draw “Taste 1” out of the hat. The whole family
begins “Taste 1,” but one person might have given up chocolate, another
coffee, and still another cheese. The category is the same for all, but
the sacrifices are specific to the individual.)
As far as the “Sunday rule,” that is up to each individual participant and God.
Optional ending
As
an “added bonus” ending, some people choose to do an all-liquid fast
for the Sacred Triduum. This means you fast from all solid foods from
Holy Thursday until after the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. If
one of your Taste categories was giving up certain types of beverages,
you are allowed nutritious beverages back into your schedule as part of
the liquid fast.
Instead of solid food, you may have juice, malts, fruit smoothies,
shakes, soups without chunks of food, milk, or those protein shakes or
instant breakfast shakes that Carnation, Slimfast and others make.
When it ends
After
the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, you may end the Lenten Sense
Marathon and celebrate! And do celebrate! Jesus is alive! All of the
suffering you have endured during Lent (and throughout your whole life
long) ends in the glory of the resurrection! May you know the
triumphant joy of the risen Jesus during the 50 days of Easter! J
The Chart
SIGHT 1 |
HEARING 1 |
TASTE 1 |
TOUCH 1 |
SMELL 1 |
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SIGHT 2 |
HEARING 2 |
TASTE 2 |
TOUCH 2 |
SMELL 2 |
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11th Extra Practice:
Ideas for each of the Five Senses
Sight
No T.V.
Limit use of the mirror
No watch
No internet
No makeup
No jewelry
No jeans
No snooze button
No speeding
No overhead lights at night
Wear a cross each day
No curling iron
No movies
No favorite magazine
No comics
Hearing
Do nothing while talking on the phone
No radio
No CD player
No car stereo
Give up favorite CD
No secular music
No favorite artist
Have 10 minutes of silence/day
No CD’s
Give someone 10 minutes of your undivided attention each day
Taste
No meat
No candy
No chocolate
No hot drinks
No condiments
No eating between meals
No drinks but water
No pop
No fast food
No ice
No cheese
No new groceries (eat what’s in the cupboards!)
No sweets
No crunchy & salty foods
No vending machine food
Touch
Take cold showers
Shave only once a week
Wear a pebble in your shoe
Don’t crack your joints
No jeans
Sleep on the floor
Sleep without a pillow
Hug one person each day
No favorite shoes
Wear only skirts to work
Smell
No cologne/perfume
No scented lotions
No favorite shampoo
No scented candles
Say a prayer for every good smell
Put 25¢ in the Rice Bowl for every good smell
Visit someone in a nursing home weekly
Plant flowers each week
Bake break on Sundays with your family
Extra practices
Daily Mass
Daily holy hour or half-hour
Daily Rosary (or decade)
Spend 5 minutes/day in the chapel
Read the Bible daily
Have 10 minutes of meaningful conversation with one family member each day
Weekly confession
Do something meaningful with one family member each week |
| And just for laughs... ;) |
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