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Sunday Rice and Stew
(Catholic Catechism)
2nd Sunday of Lent
Beloved reader, how is the Lenten season going with you.
Hope you are still keeping faithful to the Lenten observances. If you are still on track, I encourage you to continue and if you have fallen, I also encourage you to rise up from your fall and move ahead.
Remember that while we say the stations of the cross, we see Christ falling three times and He rose up on all three occasions.
In today’s edition of our favorite Sunday Rice and Stew (Catholic Catechism), we shall look at some Lenten practices proposed by the Catechism of the Catholic Church for Catholics during Lent.
Let us remember that during lent, we learn to give up several habit of ours that do not give God glory in our lives.
The catechism proposed seven Lenten practices for Catholics during the Lenten season to help us unite ourselves with Christ in the desert during these 40 sacred days.
These Lenten practices include the following:
- Prayer:
During the Lenten period, the church calls us to intensify our prayer life. To unite ourselves with Christ in the desert for these 40 sacred days in solitude, silence and prayer.
During these sacred days, we can improve our prayer life by mapping out special times during the day to pray.
We can set times like 6 am, 12 noon and 6 pm for the Angelus and also the Divine mercy prayers by 3 pm daily.
We can also set a day or two to Visit Jesus in the Blessed sacrament with the week. Reading and praying with the bible is also a good way to strength our prayer life during these 40 days.
- Retreat:
During these 40 sacred days, the church encourages private and group retreat as a way to journey with Christ during these sacred days.
The period of lent is an ideal time to give up our normal day to day routine and give a day or a week for personal reflection on our lives.
- Confession
One of the precepts of the church teaches us to go for confession at least one in a year during Easter time.
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During the period of retreat, we are expected to examine our conscience and go for confession afterwards.
Going for confession, actually help to reunite with Christ.
- Make a Pilgrimage:
As Catholics, we are expected to go for pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a physical journey to a holy place that reflects our journey toward heaven.
Some pilgrimage centers in Nigeria especially in Enugu State include Ugwu Di Nso, Ohum Monastery, Ugwu-ogo Nike all in Enugu state.
There are many other pilgrimage centers Around Nigeria and the world at large. Try to visit one this Lenten period.
- Fasting
It should be noted that fasting comes after a resolution to intensify one’s spiritual life and penitential practices and also to give alms and carry out works of charity.
Whenever we fast without all these elements, we are only exercising our will power.
- Give Alms
One of the basic duties of a Catholic is to give alms. This practice, is been intensified during the sacred 40 days of lent.
We are called to remember the members of saint Vincent de Paul in our Parishes during this season and beyond.
7. Give Yourself
The Catechism also teaches us that to unite our selves during these 40 sacred days in the desert, after doing the above Lenten Practices, we should be able to give our services or man power to the needy and our neighbors.
This means that we can visit the old people’s home, orphanage home, the Leprosy home, Prisons etc., not to give them gifts this time around but to offer them voluntary services.
Beloved in Christ after reading through these Lenten practices, I believe that with God’s grace and our efforts, we will be victorious as the Catechism says that there is an anticipated Victory at the Passion.
May God guide you through this journey of Lent and grant you all your heart desires for these sacred 40 days. Amen.
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Amen and Amen