St. Benedict would not understand what Lent has become for many Christians today, trivialized to a time when we give up candy, cut down on television, or make a yearly confession. I find it sad to see that Lent has become reduced to such a poor shadow of the great significance it had during the first Christian centuries. Perhaps we can rediscover again its true meaning and experience a new its rich reality by incorporating into our lives some of the timeless principles that St. Benedict proposes to all of us as Lenten Practices in the Rule.
5 Principles of the Lenten observance
1. "Refraining from sin"
2. Prayer with tears
3. Holy Reading
4. Repentance
5. Abstinence from food
