Plot twist- there is no magic secret formula that allows anyone to perfectly perform their Lenten disciplines- fasting, prayer, almsgiving. My Lents usually look something like this: good, wholesome things I can do to growing relationship with God, love others, and make sacrifices. Then Lent starts - eats chocolate on Ash Wednesday, forgets to say that rosary that I planned on saying every day watches another episode of The Office (even though I’ve seen every episode 10 times) instead of journaling or having a human interaction, and slowly I crash, burn, and wake up Easter morning only to be served a huge pile of guilt for breakfast because I failed at Lent once again. This is how Lent usually goes for me. In fact, this is how a lot of things play out in my life. I have very high ambitions and some I do follow through with, but usually I get “too busy” or “need to watch Netflix because I am too stressed” and I never fulfill those things I said I was going to accomplish. What I am here to tell you is that it is okay. It is okay to make up great Lenten disciplines and mess up sometimes. Obviously, you should strive to grow in relationship with God and others during Lent (and throughout your life), but it is never going to be perfect. God is not going to disown you if you eat meat one Friday on accident or if you said you’d give up sweets and all of a sudden are scarfing down a cupcake someone gave you. God will always Love you no matter how badly you mess up and that’s an important thing to realize. No loving father would ever want his children to feel guilty, especially not on a day that is supposed to be filled with love, celebrating, and rejoicing (aka Easter). The amount of joy you feel on Easter should not be measured by how well you succeeded at Lent. You should be joyful because it is the day your heavenly Father rose from the dead after dying in one of the worst ways possible all for your sins. When He was crucified, He saw you. He loved you. He knew everything that you would do. All the mistakes you would make. All of the times you would turn away from Him. All of the things you wouldn’t understand. He saw you and He loved you. Those things did not matter to Him. Even when He was being nailed on the cross for our sins, He still loved us. He knew that was the only way to give us eternal life. He knew every sin we would commit against Him and He still loved us enough to die for us. Each and every one of us. So I have a pretty hard time believing that God will love you any less when you mess up during Lent, because He already knows you will. He just wants you to strive for the things you commit to. He wants you to make realistic Lenten disciplines. He doesn’t want you to be miserable. He wants you to grow. And sometimes we grow when we mess up. So this Lent, make realistic goals, strive to grow in relationship with God (not perfect), and on Easter, no matter how much you “succeeded” or “failed” this Lent, do not feel guilt, feel joy because Jesus has died our sins and now He is risen. And He would do it all over again just for you.