Our Journey Through Lent
Lent is a special time at Liberia Mission. We participate in many activities that strengthen us spiritually as we walk with Jesus in the desert for forty days, journeying towards His resurrection. It is amazing to see the students welcome the prayer, the renouncements, and the spirit of the season with eagerness and joy.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Liberia visited us two days before Ash Wednesday and led a prayer service that filled us all with the Spirit. There was singing, praising, dancing, and catechisms that all prepared our hearts to accept the holiness of the upcoming season. Everyone, even members from our local faith community, participated; and everyone was equally touched by the fiery presence of the Holy Spirit.
Members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Liberia led us in an energetic prayer service.
Our students love to sing praise and worship songs to the Lord.
We also had a little fun before taking our renouncements this Lenten season. We celebrated Fat Tuesday by eating pizza, ice cream, candy, and soft drinks. Many of us would take the renouncement of not eating sweets or certain other foods for Lent, so this was one last hurrah with some of the foods we enjoy most!
On Ash Wednesday Fr. Deepak came to celebrate an all-school Holy Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Chapel. Everyone received ashes, and we officially entered the Lenten season. At Liberia Mission we also did our part to respect this solemn day by not eating meat and cutting down our portions for our meals. We also shared our Lenten renouncements after dinner.
Fr. Deepak gives ashes to a student.
We also began our Forty Days Prayer, which is a special, daily prayer that we have been doing at 5:00 pm. We sing, read the Gospel, and pray the rosary. We also reflect on questions that challenge us to apply our spiritual principles in our everyday lives. The students sacrificed their normal hour for playing soccer and kickball in order to pray.
During our Forty Days Prayer, we reflected deeply on the Gospel.
Every Friday we contemplate Jesus’ passion and death as we pray the Stations of the Cross. Some of the students have mentioned that this is their favorite Lenten activity because they love to contemplate how Christ suffered and died for us. It is always a powerful moment in the early hours of the evening as we process from station to station, praying and singing.
The Stations of the Cross is always a solemn moment of prayer on Friday afternoons.
There is still much of Lent remaining, but it has been a great start to the season here at Liberia Mission and St. Anthony’s. By the Grace of God, we will stay close to Christ in this journey and maintain the strength to sacrifice for Him as He did for us.
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