Lenten Season 2019

Lenten Season

Season of Doing Something Good

When I was a little boy, Lenten season was always gloomy because the parish priest in my village didn’t allow the children to play any games, even laugh loudly. He asked us to carry sorrow and suffering during the Lenten season to prepare for the paschal mystery of Jesus. Yes, I did. However, I didn’t know exactly the meaning of what I did. I did because the priest told me like that.

When I went to Ho Chi Minh City to study, I had some ideas of Lenten season from Dominican priests and knew more the meaning of this season. Therefore, I started to do some charities, wake up earlier in the morning to go to the church, fasting every Friday and avoid to collapse into sin. Especially, I saved money to buy bread and water for the poor and for those who worked in the street at night.  Of course, I always had to ask help from some generous benefactors. That was the most wonderful experience in my student life. I did this until I had become a pre-philosophy of the Passionists.

 Now writing these things, I recognize that even a little boy or a mature man, I still wanted to do something good, something kind in Lent season. I know what I did because somebody asked me or I wanted to share the suffering with the poor, but I also desired to do that for God, for what God invited me through the priest in my village or Dominican priests. Clearly, they wanted me to practice Lent season by action or sacrifice specifically, not just saying on the mouth. Moreover, I think the most important thing is the more mature, the more I am aware of why I did that.

This Lenten season, I also long for doing something good for myself, for community and for Jesus through prayer, penance, doing charity, fulfilling assignments, keeping doing spiritual things and writing some articles. I always desire to have a meaningful and unforgettable noviciate, so Lenten season is a good occasion for me to meditate the Passion of Jesus, deepen the charism of the congregation and reflect on what Passionist Saints experienced in their life about Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of God. Especially, I also want to offer to God my prayer and my sacrifice to pray for those who are suffering in any way.

Moreover, this is an opportunity to “return” with my real person with full of weaknesses and shortcoming to ask the mercy of God to forgive my sin and heal the relationship with God. Sometimes, I am too busy to make the plan for my life and my mind only focuses how to do it, but I forget that Jesus just wants me to be with Him as a little boy without worry and sadness. He longs for me spending time with Him, keeping my eyes on Him and let Him take care of my life. Therefore, I clearly need to do something good specifically, but what I am invited most in Lent is just experience paschal mystery by prayer and prayer.

I know saying is always easier than doing, but I believe that more than anyone, I know what I want and how to achieve what I want. However, I always need your pray and your companion to guide, to lead, to help me overcome my laziness, my selfishness to do something good, something meaningful in this Lent.