A lot of times we look upon Lent as a negative time. We hear the call to repent and turn away from sin. But do we hear also the positive aspect of these forty days? Believe in the Gospel. Lent is a both/and time of grace. To believe in the good news of our salvation is not only an assent of the mind but a commitment of the heart to a way of life.

A good practice to begin and continue to accomplish this is daily to spend time reading, reflecting and putting into practice what we read in the Word of God. Let's say we read the passage that says "dismiss all anxieties". How do we apply this in our lives so that it becomes a norm for us? Once that happens (and it may take a while), the Word of God has taken root in our lives and a transformation has occurred. 

A goal of Lent is that by Easter we have become a new creation. Something old in us has died and something new has occurred. Hopefully, this new way of living has become and will be permanent. That is the positive grace of Lent.