Temperance

1st Sunday of Lent: The temperate woman denies herself.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the girls understand self-denial as a pathway to true freedom and deeper union with Christ. By exploring the practice of fasting and detachment, the girls are invited to recognize their attachments to worldly comforts and learn how denying lesser goods creates space for the greatest good—God. This lesson encourages the girls to embrace Lenten sacrifice not as deprivation, but as a joyful offering that strengthens virtue, disciplines desire, and draws them closer to the Lord.

2nd Sunday of Lent: The temperate woman goes on retreats.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the girls see retreats as an essential practice for rightly ordering their hearts toward God. Through the virtue of temperance, the girls are invited to distinguish true rest from escapism and to understand the importance of stepping away from daily distractions to listen to the voice of the Father. This lesson encourages the girls to cultivate intentional moments of prayerful retreat—whether large or small—so they may return to daily life with renewed peace, clarity, and trust in God’s will.

3rd Sunday of Lent: The temperate woman is the master of herself.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the girls understand self-mastery as a lifelong pursuit that leads to authentic freedom and joy. By examining the virtue of temperance, the girls are invited to recognize how unchecked desires can enslave them, while cooperation with God’s grace strengthens their ability to choose what is good. This lesson encourages perseverance in the struggle for virtue, trust in God’s mercy, and reliance on the Holy Spirit to grow in discipline, freedom, and interior peace.

4th Sunday of Lent: The temperate woman learns what is good.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the girls develop the ability to discern what is truly good according to God’s will rather than cultural standards or personal desire. Through the virtue of temperance, the girls are invited to conform their choices to God’s definition of goodness, recognizing that freedom is found in choosing what leads to holiness. This lesson encourages the girls to rely on Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they learn to make sacrifices that reflect love, maturity, and rightly ordered priorities.

5th Sunday of Lent: The temperate woman confesses her sins.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the girls understand confession as a gift of mercy and an essential practice for healing and conversion. Through the virtue of temperance, the girls are invited to examine their sins with honesty and humility, recognizing how sin disrupts their relationship with God and the wider Body of Christ. This lesson encourages the girls to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation with trust and contrition, embracing God’s mercy as a path to restoration, freedom, and deeper communion with Him.