Pope Benedict XVI focused on the the traditional themes of fasting, almsgiving and prayer in his Lenten message for 2011. “The practice of almsgiving is a reminder of God’s primacy and turns our attention towards others,” Benedict writes.

Read an essay from ChristianHistory.net on how the early tradition of pre-Lenten repentance developed into our modern practice of Ash Wednesday.

Read “Fasting has spiritual, physical benefits but also points to good works,” a March 2, 2011 Catholic News Service story.

Read a Jan. 25, 2011, story from The Wall Street Journal about how Christians responded to decreased giving and economic hardship during the recession.

Read a Jan. 31, 2011, story from Christianity Today about how Christians are responding to decreased giving to churches.

Read a March 3, 2011, column at Patheos.com by a self-described progressive pastor, Bruce Epperly, who plans to go to a spa on Ash Wednesday and focus on enjoying the wonders of the everyday world.

Read  a Feb. 25, 2011 Catholic News Service story on an environmental approach to lent.

Read a Feb. 28, 2011, Religion News Service story about new approaches to marking Lent, including reducing greenhouse gases or abstaining from social networking sites like Facebook.

Mark J. Cherry is a philosophy professor at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. He is co-editor of Allocating Scarce Medical Resources: Roman Catholic Perspectives (Georgetown University Press, 2003), senior associate editor of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, senior associate editor of Christian Bioethics and editor in chief of HealthCare Ethics Committee Forum. His book For Sale by […]