9 Unconventional Lenten Penance Ideas from the Wonderful Mother Angelica
As Catholics, we are called to transform our hearts and relationship with Jesus during the season of Lent.
While many pick one general “thing” to fast from or act on during this penitential season, some look for general acts of penance that can last far beyond Lent itself.
Here are nine unconventional ideas for Lenten penance from the wonderful Mother Angelica–many of which can serve as year-round penance!
1) Check your temper!
“Why don’t you offer up your temper for Lent? That’s what I’m going to do. I want to give up my temper and try to be nice to my enemies – wherever they are. But it’s nice to be nice to enemies when you don’t even know who they are!”
2) But First, Be Nice at Home
“Sometimes we’re just so wonderful to people outside, then when we get home we’re like bears. ‘What do you want?’
Well, you’d never say that to somebody outside! You’d say, ‘May I help you?’ But at home? ‘Get it yourself.’”
3) A Lenten Challenge for Drivers
“Want a good penance? Not to criticize your neighbor while driving. I don’t drive, but when someone honks at our car, I get thoughts. I tell you, I do have thoughts! But I don’t express them. And that’s a good penance for Lent!”
4) Recognize the Good Intentions of Others
“You don’t realize how many daily penances we have. Like drinking tea you don’t like when someone lovingly makes it for you. It looks like dishwasher water, but you smile and say, ‘Oh, thank you!’”
5) Show Virtue in a Bad Mood
“You ever have a bad day and go to the office where everyone’s happy–even your grouchy boss? And all you want to say is, ‘Drop dead.’ But you don’t! See? That’s virtue!”
6) Don’t talk about others; pray for them instead!
“You say, ‘I don’t gossip. I just explain the faults of others.’ Isn’t that what we do? We act like we’re just ‘sharing information’ or ‘concerned’ about someone, but really, we’re just pointing out everything they do wrong.
“This Lent, let’s try something radical: instead of talking about people, let’s pray for them. Now there’s a challenge!”
7) Offer Up Daily Annoyances
“Did you ever go to a restaurant and smell that peanut oil? You walk in, and you can just tell…this oil has been through some things! You wonder, how many thousands of hamburgers were in that peanut oil before I got it? But instead of complaining, just offer it up.
“That is what Lent is all about–turning little annoyances into sacrifices. So next time your food tastes a little… ‘aged’...just smile and say, ‘Thank you, Jesus, for this penance!’”
8) Be Nice to Your Waiter
“I could never be a waitress. If I had to wait on nine people at a table and I got a 50-cent tip, I’d take that ketchup, squirt it on everybody, and quit! You know, people go to restaurants, and they complain about everything–the food is too cold, the bread is too hard, the waiter is too slow.
“But we forget that these people are just trying to make a living. So, here’s an idea: this Lent, be nice to your waiter! And maybe–just maybe–tip them enough so they can eat too.”
9) Say “No” to Little Things
“There comes a time in your life when you have to say no to something very difficult–when saying yes would be so easy. And that’s the real test. Lent isn’t just about saying no to candy or coffee.
"It’s about learning how to say no to things that pull us away from God, even when they’re tempting. And when we can say no to little things, we become strong enough to say no to bigger things, too.”