St. Josemaría's "The Way" inspires Hallow's Lenten challenge40 things you can do to experience Lent"Wielki post", the great fast: Lent and Easter in PolandTwo weeks ago I participated in the program Mediodía Cope to talk about the book How to talk about God in the networks. The program presenters had prepared a script that included reviewing the average time spent using a cell phone per week. One of them logged more than 7 hours, while the other spent 2 hours in front of the screen.
During a commercial break, Jorge Bustos, the presenter with the lowest usage time, commented that every afternoon he would turn off his cell phone for two hours to dedicate himself to reading, a strategy that helped him to not be so hooked on technology.
Digital abstinence
It turns out that on the first Friday in March, some people celebrate the day of the digital abstinence. The ephemeris can serve to encourage us Christians to separate ourselves from our screens for a much better reason than just mental health. Traditionally, Catholics have associated Lent with abstinence from meat on Fridays, but in an increasingly digitized world, why not consider a "digital abstinence" as well?
Screens, although useful, can become a constant distraction, robbing us of time that we could spend helping others, praying, reading... St. Ignatius of Loyola said that "the most dangerous enemy of the soul is disordered attachment". Today, that attachment can be to our phone.
Digital abstinence is a meaningful sacrifice to not be a spoiled person, who gets swept away by the winds of any clickbait.
Digital abstinence does not mean giving up technology completely, but using it sparingly and wisely. On Fridays in LentThe traditional days of penance can be a perfect opportunity to reduce the time we spend in front of screens. This small sacrifice can have a big impact on our spiritual life: time for mental prayer, for praying the Rosary, meditating on the Passion of Christ or simply listening to the voice of God in silence. For a greater presence in real life. To gain inner freedom. Digital abstinence helps us to regain inner peace and focus on what really matters.
How to practice digital abstinence
- Set limits: decide how many hours a day you will use your phone and stick to that limit.
- Turn off notifications and silence your phone during times of prayer or family gatherings.
- It replaces screen time with something much, much better.
- Involve others: invite your family or friends to join in this purpose.
This year, I invite you to live Lent in a different way. Let digital abstinence be your small sacrifice, your way of saying "yes" to God and "no" to the distractions that keep us from Him. Remember that, as Jesus said, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Where is your treasure: on the screens or in the presence of God?
May this Lent be a time of spiritual renewal, where by disconnecting from the digital world, we reconnect with what is essential: God, others and ourselves. We encourage you to try it! Happy Lent!
