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Offering It Up: A Lenten Reflection

“Offer it up!” Do we receive that invitation with a wince or a nod? Heights Assistant Headmaster Tom Royals invites us to examine our approach to Lent and “offering it up”—with an emphasis on offering. Mr. Royals reflects on the “happy obligation” that is the habit of sacrifice, and he considers the liturgical seasons of Lent, Passiontide, Eastertide, and ordinary time as gifts from the Church.

Chapters:

4:21 “Offer it up”

8:37 Look to the cross

10:59 Offering it up as a pattern and practice

12:47 Keeping the Lord company

16:22 Our reactions to setbacks

20:57 History of Lent: an ecclesial framework

23:22 Our Lent so far

25:44 Lent in the family culture

28:24 Easter: the feast of feasts

32:02 These next ten days

Links:

Holy Rosary (with images) by Josemaria Escriva

Featured opportunities:

Parents Conference: Fostering Our Sons’ Faith at The Heights School (April 12, 2025)

Teaching Essentials Workshop at The Heights School (June 16-20, 2025)

Convivium for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2025)

Also on the Forum:

Learn to Turn featuring Tom Royals

About the Author

Tom Royals

Assistant Headmaster, Theology

Tom began his tenure at The Heights in 1979. Over the years, he has taught grades four through twelve in the disciplines of English and Religion, held various administrative positions, and was appointed Assistant Headmaster in 1998. Tom holds a BA in English from Providence College. He has served as Varsity and Middle School Swim Coach since 2010, and was named the Washington Metro Private School Swim and Dive League Coach of the Year in 2020, again in 2022, and WCAC Coach of the Year also in 2022.

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