When we were growing up, our understanding of Lent was that we wasn’t supposed to be jolly, celebrate parties, eating candies and chocolates, then this “black ash” on our forehead at the beginning of the season, and we didn’t eat meat on Fridays. And the question is: do we care about it?
We all knew that God existed, but the message of the Paschal Mystery was foreign and alien to some. Most of the church workers knew that but some of the church goers or just a plain by-standers doesn’t full understand. Thankfully, your Parish Priest and the rest of the church ministries and organizations were continuously reaching out to our communities.
Once you let Christ open your heart and transform you, Lent suddenly has an entirely new meaning.
Many of us have heard the verse, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). In other words, we must be willing to let go of our desires and plans in order to allow Him to renew our souls. I remember during past Lenten Seasons, I kept saying, “Sabi ni Hesus: “Tonight, I gave the greatest performance of my life” That is what Lent is really about; not that giving up sweets and chocolates for 40 days is going to get us into Heaven, but to rid ourselves of our ungodly ways so that we can be filled with His spirit and become more like Him. As Jesus went to go and be tempted by the Devil for 40 days, we too let ourselves go through temptation by challenging ourselves, asking Jesus to help us through it.
We undergo a “spiritual death” so that on Easter, we may rise with Him.
What Do We Give Up For Lent?
Here are a few tips to help you decide.
1. Lent isn’t meant for dieting fads
I know so many people who give up sweets and/or coffee for Lent. Some people may have a real addiction to something that is truly harming their body, and, in that case, giving up something food related would be fine. However, in other cases, it’s important to look at what you are really worshiping here…God, or your body? Is the food you are giving up really going to put you through an emptiness that you can fill in with Christ, or is it just a convenient (but not so holy) time-frame to use to begin a new diet, like the beginning of the New Year?
2. You can add something
The common question for the season is “what are you giving up for Lent?” But believe it or not, we can actually add something, like additional prayer or even attending daily Mass. The real deal is to be challenged spiritually.
3. Give up AND add something
How many of us have claimed that we don’t have time to pray? In fact, the bigger question is, why we are treating Jesus Christ like an item on our to-do list? Hey, I’m guilty of it too, unfortunately. For example, you can sacrifice watching your favorite show, or…dare I say it, give up binge-watching Netflix to spend time in prayer instead. Or, replace a bad habit with something spiritual. With Lent, we are supposed to rid ourselves of what takes us away from Christ and to give up our willfulness in order to let Jesus Christ fill us.
4. Charity
I saw a commercial recently reminding me that just because the “season of giving” is over, doesn’t mean that we should stop helping others. That may sound obvious, but it is so easy to get caught up in ourselves, especially once the Christmas season is over, because we are trying to get back into the “flow.” However, being selfless is a great way to empty ourselves for Christ. Plus, acts of charity help us to do His work.
5. Memento Mori (Remember your death)
If you are active on Catholic Twitter, chances you are aware of #mementomori from Sr. Theresa Aletheia. She’s an awesome media nun who has been keeping a skull on her desk for over 180 days, used as a reminder that there is something even greater after life. Why not give it a try yourself? Having a reminder that we are living for something greater than ourselves definitely can give us a push on our path to holiness, which is something we absolutely need Jesus for. Plus, as Sister has mentioned, it’s quite the conversation starter.
Editor’s Note: This is the supposed the latest article/blog that our Fr. Larry Paz submitted for publication before he passed away. Excerpts from his article came from YouTube and other resources.
