catholic 40 bags in 40 days |

During Lent we take care to ensure that we are making notable sacrifices for our own betterment and to draw us in closer to Christ. We prune and weed out bad habits in the hopes of becoming more disciplined.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we also did this throughout our own homes– going from room to room, pruning and weeding out all the unnecessary clutter?

A couple of years ago, Jennifer shared a lovely handout she received:

“Every day during Lent this year, empty one bag of ‘stuff’ that is no longer needed from your house, totaling a loss of forty bags of stuff!

1.) Taking a look at the size of your family and household, with an acknowledgement of how much ‘stuff’ is present, make a prudential choice on the size of bag to be employed during this challenge. Bag size should be small enough that the goal of 40 bags during the season of Lent is able to be accomplished, while not being too big that you are left with nothing. We must still live in the world, after all!

2.) If smaller children are a part of your family, a ‘gauge’ may be helpful to keep them engaged and help them keep track of progress. As part of your preparations, make a ‘paper chain’ of forty numbered links. As each new bag is started, place a new link in the bottom of the bag. This way, as the chain gets smaller, there is a greater sense of accomplishment.

3.) This challenge necessarily involves sacrifice. Each member of the family should be encouraged to give something to each bag, or there could be designated bags for each member of the family.

4.) Instead of just throwing things away, recycling is a great way to encourage good stewardship of the gifts we have been given, as it symbolizes that we are passing along our gifts to others. Families with children are encouraged to pass along clothes that no longer fit or toys that sit dormant in a closet to families in need instead of just throwing them away.

5.) Units of count need not necessarily be trash bags, either; however they should be equivalent. For example, a box of gently used toys or clothes could equate one bag off the chain. A stack of books donated to the parish library is another easy equivalent.

As the family accepts this challenge together, bonds will be created that will last a lifetime. Lessons are also learned not just by saying, but by putting it into practice. Here, the simple lesson will last throughout life that having fewer things can lead to a greater contentment in life.

(Credit due to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for this handout on vocations and family faith formation)”

This year, during the 40 days of Lent, I plan on accepting this challenge by tackling each room of my home and plan on taking out 40 bags– while both tossing out the junk and passing along gently used items to friends and family. (I’ve already armed myself with a 45 count box of trash bags!)

To help keep track of it all, instead of a paper chain as suggested, I’ve created a log to keep track of the areas that have been decluttered throughout my home.