Lenten campaign 2026
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Let's be honest, sometimes life can really bring us down. It can seem like the world is out to get us as we struggle to keep our head above water and survive one more day.
What's interesting is how the month of January can provide a welcome jolt to our lives, providing for us a little glimmer of hope that things could be different. When all seems to be crashing around us, January reminds us that all things can be renewed.
Starting fresh in the spiritual life
While many people use the month of January to make pledges surrounding bodily health and exercise, it is also a perfect time to examine our spiritual lives and determine what needs to change.
The first area of our spiritual life that we should explore is any attachment to sin, especially mortal sin. We simply cannot progress in our relationship with God if we are attached to a particular sin. What we need to do is pause to reflect on which sins we can't seem to shake and to resolve to never commit that sin again.
Begin the process by going to confession in the beginning of January, so that you can truly start fresh, letting God wash away all of your sins.
After that, you'll likely need to formulate a "battle plan" for how you intend to stop this particular sin. Typically this means reflecting on the common circumstances that led you to that sin, and to do what you can to cut it out. For example, if you are addicted to pornography, the best thing you can do is find an accountability partner and to install some sort of software that blocks out a potential occasion of sin.
Whatever sin it might be that you want to get rid of, the key is to invite God into your life and invoke his name as often as you can. We simply cannot break free of our chains on our own and need a liberator to come and rescue us.
Next, consider your own relationship with God. St. Francis de Sales, in his Introduction to the Devout Life, provides a set of questions that we should all ponder and think about:
With respect to God Himself -- does your heart delight in thinking of God, does it crave after the sweetness thereof? Do you feel a certain readiness to love Him, and a definite inclination to enjoy His Love? Do you take pleasure in dwelling upon the Immensity, the Goodness, the Tenderness of God? When you are immersed in the occupations and vanities of this world, does the thought of God come across you as a welcome thing? Do you accept it gladly, and yield yourself up to it, and your heart turn with a sort of yearning to Him?
The spiritual life is not simply about stopping bad habits, but it is about fostering a relationship with a God who loves us dearly and who constantly knocks at our door.
Whatever you do, take advantage of January as a month that is typically filled with great hope. Invite God into your life and resolve to make the next year one that is open to God's loving grace.
