Love at Lent
Daily family activities for kindness, positivity, and love during Great Lent
How can we involve the younger members of our community, instilling in them the tenets of Lent – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving? How can we give them something positive and meaningful so they grow strong in their faith? These were the questions that Presvytera Michelle Triant asked herself, as a busy mother with two small children. Then, she used her creativity and knowledge of publishing to create Love at Lent, a colorful box filled with activity cards to be drawn at random each day of Great Lent, designed to encourage mindfulness, humility, and kindness for the whole family during this special time in our faith. Love at Lent is for our children, so they are invested, supported, inspired, and encouraged as they journey through this most important season.
“I started Love at Lent three years ago when my eldest daughter was three and my youngest was a newborn. I felt my daughters were too young to fast, and too young to understand the meaning of Lent. I wanted to give them something they could do, every day, to signify the importance of this time,” stated Presvytera Michelle Triant. “I wanted to find fun but impactful ways to teach them to love, to give, to think of others, to practice forgiveness, and to enjoy dedicated, intentional family time. I shared our tasks with family and friends, and was amazed and inspired by those who began practicing Love at Lent in their own homes.”
“I am proud of the way that Presvytera Michelle has created such wonderful tool to teach our children about Lent and the importance of sacrifice and service to others,” remarked His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos. “The inspiration of her faith, combined with her education and talent has resulted in a unique and practical program that can truly engage the whole family on their journey through Great and Holy Lent.”
Love at Lent is great for families, Sunday School programs, Church School classrooms, youth ministries, and as a gift from godparents, grandparents, family, and friends. Any age will benefit from daily acts of love and kindness during Lent, but this box will appeal specifically to children ages 2-10. Love at Lent is ideal for this continued challenging time, as we seek the comfort and closeness of our loved ones and of our wider community. All of the tasks can be completed remotely.
“Anyone who celebrates Lent will find this a worthy experience for their family. I have had many people write in to say they have used Love at Lent during their child’s birthday month, as an idea similar to an Advent calendar leading up to Christmas, or whenever they feel they need to bring connection and focus back onto the family unit. Love at Lent is extremely adaptable to suit the specific needs of your family,” shared Presvytera Michelle Triant.
Visit www.LoveAtLent.com for ordering details.
About the Author
Michelle Bonanno Triant is a presvytera, mom, writer, editor, and book publicist dedicated to the promotion of the health and wellness of Orthodox Christian families. She is an executive member of the Family Wellness Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco and is on the editorial team of Prez to Prez, a bi-monthly newsletter that encourages and supports presvyteres of the Holy Orthodox Church. She works full-time as a Director of Publicity for Fortier Public Relations. Throughout her childhood and teens, she and her family were active in the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Modesto, CA. Presvytera Michelle holds a Master of Arts degree in publishing and writing from Emerson College in Boston, MA, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theater and Communications from UC Berkeley. She has been married to Rev. Father Daniel Triant for seven years, who serves as Proistamenos of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Spokane, WA. Father Daniel and Presvytera Michelle are blessed with two daughters – Penelope (6) and Mia (3).
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