How's Your Lent Going So Far?
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We're a week and a half into Lent. So let me ask: how's it going? Did you start strong on Ash Wednesday with big plans and firm resolutions? Maybe you committed to daily prayer, weekly confession, cutting out triggers, staying accountable. And maybe you've already fallen off. Maybe you relapsed. Maybe you skipped your recovery meeting. Maybe you stopped doing the work and went back to old patterns. Maybe you're reading this thinking, "I already blew it. What's the point?" Here's the point: Lent isn't over. You have 30+ days left. Thirty days to get back on track. Thirty days to turn this around. Thirty days to finish strong instead of giving up because you stumbled. Scripture says, "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again" [Proverbs 24:16]. Falling isn't the problem. Staying down is. The enemy wants you to believe that because you messed up the first week, the whole thing is ruined. That's a lie. God's mercy doesn't run out on day 10 of Lent. His grace doesn't expire because you fell. Your wife is watching to see what you do next. Does one failure mean you quit? Or does it mean you get back up, go to confession, and keep fighting? Here's how to get back on track: 1. Go to confession this week. Don't wait. Don't let shame keep you away. Bring your failures to the sacrament and receive the mercy God is offering. 2. Reconnect with accountability. Call your accountability partner. Call your sponsor. Text your group. Show up to the meeting. Isolation is what got you off track. Community will get you back on. 3. Simplify your Lenten discipline. If you tried to do too much and collapsed under the weight, scale it back. Pick one thing you can actually sustain for the next 30 days and commit to that. 4. Reset today. Not tomorrow. Not Monday. Today. Right now. This moment is your fresh start. The Catechism reminds us that "the way of perfection passes by way of the Cross" [CCC 2015]. The Cross includes falling. It includes getting back up. It includes enduring when you don't feel strong. Lent isn't about being perfect for 40 days. It's about persevering through 40 days, even when you fail. 2 Practical Tips: To Battle Lust: If you've fallen off your Lenten discipline, go to confession this week and reset. Pick one concrete action you'll do every day for the rest of Lent and write it down. Don't try to do everything. Just do one thing consistently. To Help Your Wife Heal: Tell your wife, "I haven't done Lent perfectly, but I'm not giving up. I'm going to confession and getting back on track." Let her see that you don't quit when things get hard. Lent isn't over. Get back up. Keep fighting. Join Catholics Fight Porn: https://www.catholicsfightporn.com/finallyfree Remember, "You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!" [Philippians 4:13] —Steve Join a FINALLY FREE! GROUP here. 🎙Listen to the Podcast: Catholics Fight Porn here. Sign up for a Daily 'Boost' TEXT for Motivation here. Book a 20-minute Intro Discovery Call here. Book a 1:1 Session w/Steve here. Read past Newsletters at the BLOG. Donate to CFP to support this work here.
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