3 ways to journey this Lent
40 is a significant number in the Bible, and it can be said to be another way to say a long time. The Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land for 40 years and Jesus also spent 40 days in the desert. In both situations, temptations and trials were not lacking, but what was evident was God’s grace and its transforming power in the lives of all who remained faithful.
Lent - which is made of 40 days (excluding Sundays) - is that season in the Catholic Church where we prepare inwardly for the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Suffice to say that it is a time when we understand the price God paid to set each one of us free from sin in order to be his forever.
Photo by Grant Whitty on Unsplash
The ashes on our forehead are shaped in the form of a cross to remind us of this, and all He asks is that we say yes to Him. The ashes also remind us that our stay on earth is for a while and our actions will determine where we spend eternity. This battle of saying yes to overcome sin and the defects of one’s character, done with God’s help, is what we are called to this season.
#1 Find Christ in your Desert
Many times when conversations of Lent are spoken of, it always goes thus “What are you giving up for lent?” … “Are you fasting?” … “Which charity organisation are you donating to?”
During the pandemic, we were deprived of attending Mass during Lent for 2 years in a row. I must confess, I thank God for this deprivation because in my state of sadness at not attending Mass during the Lenten season, I discovered the true meaning of Lent.
I journeyed with God, and the world, my office, everything became my desert. God was asking me to journey towards Him right where I was. This is the first rule of thumb if you really want to make the most of this Lenten season: Let your daily life and work circumstances be your desert. He is waiting for you there and not elsewhere.
#2 The Best Prayer Book is your Life
I became very intentional about wanting to get the best of the Lenten season and I took to heart the three characteristics of the season:
Prayer
Fasting (mortification and penance included)
Almsgiving
It was very difficult knowing what to settle for.
I think that the first step to being intentional about the Lenten season is to pray about it. Only through prayer can you find out God’s will for you. How do I pray? What do I read to spark conversations with Jesus when I pray? Remember, to pray is to talk to God. About what? About everything.
The first book I recommend is the book of your life. The book of your life contains many pages and sections: Past and present, joys, sorrows, pains, mistakes, should have, could have, regrets, omissions, work problems, daily annoyances, wishes, hopes, dreams, and so on. God is asking you to spend some minutes with him daily and read the page where you are at for the day with him.
I realised he didn’t mind if I remained stuck on one line in the page of my life. He was there to heal me and to give me a new heart - a heart not of stone but of love - so that I could rewrite my life’s story on the new sheets he was giving me after I had confessed my sins at confession.
In addition, I found out one beautiful thing: God was and is always interested in our dreams and aspirations. The discovery of God’s immense interest in our happiness and his purification of all sins and selfish ambitions in our life’s storybook is a joyful affirmation of this season.
The other texts I recommend reading are the readings at Mass, especially during Holy Week, the Stations of the Cross, and any good spiritual book you find helpful. Through praying with these texts and the book of my life, I saw how I had allowed many ‘polite demons’ to take shelter in my heart. Polite demons of laziness, disorder, impatience, self-indulgence, and even despair.
#3 Bring Fasting and Almsgiving into your Prayer
Guess what my lists of penance and fasting became?
Those things which were separating me from God. I did live the salt of mortification in every meal (maybe not all) but the real fasting for me became fasting from those things that were straining my relationship with God and others. What about giving up smoking, social media, eating my favourite meal…during Lent? The rule of thumb is to discuss with Jesus and to do whatever he tells you.
One cannot approach choosing things to abstain from using a two-for-one approach. I fast from food because I want to lose weight and only then, can it be nice for Lent. Be generous and give God pride of place. Remember, for God, fasting and penance are not so much about quantity but rather the generosity and intentions behind them.
Another tip to remember when making your list of mortifications is to “choose mortifications that don’t mortify others” (The Way, 179 by St Josemaria). Adding a prayer intention behind every sacrifice I made for myself and others, was also a good way to persevere when I was tempted to quit.
In my prayer, I saw the best almsgiving tip ever = to give Love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor 13, 4-7)
This summed it all, and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy taught me how to put this love in my heart into action, starting first with those I live with. During this Lenten season, may you find Christ and learn to be his friend.
Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, and guide us on the way that leads to heaven. - Pope Francis
For more tips on how to live the Lenten season better see here.