The Holy Season of Lent began this year today 26 February 2020 - ASH WEDNESDAY.
The sacred season of Lent is a holy
time of grace for every Catholic to look deep into our hearts, It is a season of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. When I first started to seriously prepare my heart for Jesus 22 years ago, it began with abstaining from meat , not watching television for the entire Lenten season, daily Holy Mass, Friday Stations of the Cross, praying for an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament daily and to do acts of mercy.
PRAYER
Lenten season is a period of of great grace. Each of us need to be conscious that we are only pilgrims on earth. We must be ready for our final home - Heaven. Reconciling with Jesus is so crucial and to do so, we need to feed on God's Word and to transform our heart, mind and soul. It should not be just for Lenten Season only. Rather, I always try to make a distinct change from Lenten season onward for the rest of my life. It is very difficult. It takes time and self-awareness and willingness to take positive action. It is having to learn to surrender to God and to live the Word - "He must increase; I must decrease." (John 3:30) I am always a work-in-progress. Jesus is ever patient and loving.
That is why the season of Lent is the perfect opportunity to reach out to Jesus in prayer and reflection. In our busy lives, it is very important to spend time in silence and train our mind and heart to not keep racing to all the things we need to do or our worries. Learning to silence our heart and mind for Jesus is a necessity. Only then can you and I be open to the guidance of Jesus in our lives. In our time of quiet, silent reflection, the Holy Spirit will speak to us through God's Word, the Holy Bible. Lenten Season is a perfect time to pray and start a Prayer Journal.
I often have had people tell me, they just cannot pray. Well, there are so many resources on social media and internet to help every Catholic grow closer to God. It is no longer an excuse that a religious television /radio programme is over. Now we can choose to watch or listen via our mobile phones, iPads, laptops and PCs whenever or wherever we are at the tip of our fingers.
Some of the CATHOLIC APPS I would like to suggest for this sacred Lenten season are:
FORMED
Many parishes have paid for their parishioners to be able to subscribe to FORMED. There is a daily Lenten Reflection starting from Ash Wednesday. The video productions are top quality and deeply informative. For those of you who are signed up or if your parish has got this resource, please do not waste this God-given opportunity, I watched a FORMED video, THE LAST DAYS, a couple of days back. I felt this is a video EVERY Catholic should watch at the start of Lent. Then we will not waste a moment of our lives. Neither will we have fear of Purgatory. Rather, every Catholic will live with joy as pilgrims on earth waiting to reach our Heavenly home.
REGNUM CHRISTI (RC) Spirituality
I just love the daily meditations which is about 6-8 minutes. It is only a few days ago that I was told about this app by my sister. Th meditations have touched me deeply. There is an app for iPhone users called RC Spirituality. For Android users like me, Please click on this link for the RC Daily Meditations.
PRAY AS YOU GO
This is a Jesuit App available of iPhone and Android mobiles which gives us no excuse of not knowing how to pray. There are Prayer Tools which includes Preparing for Prayer: Breathing and Preparing for Prayer:Body to start off. It is a gentle way to be ready in the Presence of God. There is a choice of Retreats and Series. This is a wonderful app of what the Ignatian Spirituality is famous for - making us aware of the Presence of God every moment of our life.
YOUTUBE CHANNELS:
The video above, ENTERING THE DESERT OF LENT is by Bishop Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Barron explains with blessed wisdom what the sacred Season of Lent is all about. He is the founder of Word On Fire Catholic Ministries. Bishop Barron is now the most watched Catholic bishop and theologian on social media and YouTube. His zeal for New Evangelization initiatives is setting the world on fire for Jesus. Just click on this link Bishop Barron's Word of Fire YouTube channel.
 |
| Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. |
Now for blessed news that
every Friend of Divine will be overjoyed to know! There is a YOUTUBE playlist
on GOODNESS TV channel link, LIVING WATERS: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY with Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. Director of Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Kerala, India.
There are over 400 videos for each of you to have a special Divine experience
once again.
FASTING
Over the years, I
have realized that fasting for me, was more than abstaining from meat, it was
about abstaining from things that I
really enjoyed. Abstaining from meat is not difficult for me now. Today,
giving up ice-cream is difficult for me as it is extremely hot in India currently
and I find it hard having spicy Indian food! So
it is no ice cream and snacks this Lent. I like to snack as I work. I have fasted on the virtues of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Needles to say, I was always tested on Day 1. However, I know Jesus has made positive changes in my life over the years. Fasting to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit (1 virtue per Lenten season) was the most difficult type of fast to do for me.
ALMSGIVING
As
we pray and fast to have a deeper spiritual experience with Jesus, my hope is
that as our hearts are moulded to love as Jesus does, you and I will do acts of
love every day of our lives being compassionate and generous in our almsgiving. It is not just money. it is our time, our patience, our care, our words of friendship and comfort to family, friends and any one we know in need of love and kindness. As Bishop
Barron said so eloquently, let us not judge if a person comes up to us seeking a little financial help. Rather, we should have small change with us to
help whoever comes up to us. Almsgiving is what makes all our prayers and
fasting bear real fruit in our Lenten 2020 Journey with Jesus.
"But
whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and
closes
his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
(1
John 3:17)