“I’m participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013, hosted by Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families. We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of link-up entries.”
“Love makes sacrifice easy, and perfect love makes sacrifice a joy.” – St. Augustine
I love that quote from St. Augustine. And so perfect a reminder in this Season of Lent. True that at times, we find it easy to give up something for someone, for a certain intention, or for whatever reason we may have. But most of the time, it is not easy at all. Especially if it is giving up something we truly love or like having, something we are used to. Hard because it will take us away from our comfort zone. But remembering that quote from St. Augustine somehow helps us to rethink and refocus. Mortification is giving up something with the right intention and for the right intention. It requires action. Someone once told me that mortification is to deny ourselves of something. It may be as simple as giving up eating your favorite ice cream, taking the bus instead of a cab, or even getting the wing part of the roasted chicken instead of the legs (if your favorite is the leg part). There are a thousand ways of doing mortification. Simple or grand. But the important thing is the intention and the attitude.
Just a few days before Ash Wednesday, I came across this calendar from Brother Richie Yap‘s site. And I was so thankful to have found it. Sure we can have our own list of deeds, but sometimes it is also good to get help from someone or something. And it is all up to us how we do it. It was just timely as the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, on our way home after attending mass, my daughter started mentioning to us what she plans to give up this Lent. And that started our conversation inside the car. My two sons were also thinking. My husband and I gave some suggestions as we also told them what we ourselves also plan to give up. These things we always get to discuss as a family. I am so thankful that my kids are open to this kind of thing and family discussion. And seeing the calendar that Brother Richie posted on his site, instantly made me print it. It is a calendar of good deeds that we can follow for the whole season of Lent. Of course these are just suggestions, but I find it very helpful as it can serve as a guide to our family. Each one can follow it at his or her own situation. And I am sharing it here, maybe you can also take a look at it and see if you can use it as a guide as well.
Source: Brother Richie Yap
I have printed this calendar and pinned it in our bulletin board for everyone to see. Everyday, each one of us takes a look at it and decide for ourselves how we will be able to follow it or apply it depending on each one’s situation. We are free to change it, add or deduct. Nobody is forced to follow it. But we try to encourage and support each one.
We also have this tradition in our family when we do Visita Iglesia on Holy Thursday. We pray as a family in front of the Blessed Sacrament that is exposed in each of the seven churches we visit. We have been doing this since our kids were small and I intend to keep it until they grow up and pass on this tradition to their own families as well. We also invite their cousins to come with us. And we have been doing the Visita Iglesia with their cousins for the last three years. This is one activity that they always look forward to.
My kids with their cousins during our Visita Iglesia last year
There are different ways to prepare for Lent and different activities to do during the Lenten Season. But whatever we do, however we do it, the important thing is to do everything for Love. Always remembering the true meaning of Lent.
“The Church’s Lenten discipline is meant to help deepen our life of faith and our imitation of Christ in his paschal mystery. In these forty days may we draw nearer to the Lord by meditating on his word and example, and conquer the desert of our spiritual aridity, selfishness and materialism. For the whole Church may this Lent be a time of grace in which God leads us, in union with the crucified and risen Lord, through the experience of the desert to the joy and hope brought by Easter.” – Pope Benedict XVI
Few days back, I have written about my Lenten Reads. You may want to read it, too.
How about you, what family traditions and activities do you do during the Season of Lent? Would love to hear from you.
amommyofthree 
Love the idea of a good deeds chart. I feel like during Lent a lot of us just get caught up in the giving up of stuff, but giving back is great. I just downloaded chart and am going to add some extra’s. I think I’ll print of little slips of paper with the deeds and have my children draw one each day to work on. Thanks for the great idea!
Hi, Crystal! The paper with a drawing on each deed is really a good idea! Thanks for sharing, too. 🙂
Ooh, thanks for sharing that chart!
Mortification – a great word, with so much meaning during Lent. But, truly meaningless if not done with love. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi, Amy! Writing about Lent also made me think again of that word. And thanks to the blog link up, we all are reminded of the true meaning of Lent. Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
That chart is AWESOME! Thank you so much for sharing. It’s really wonderful to see other people with a positive outlook on lent!
You’re welcome, Megan. Glad to have found the chart and was able to share it, too. Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
I like your photo collage of your family participating in the Visita Iglesias on Holy Thursday. I wonder if my church does this? I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for the tip. Your good deeds calendar has great ideas too. Have you seen the Lenten Prayer about fasting from gossip, judging others, anger, complaining, fear…etc? It’s perfect to set your mood for focusing on Jesus another on ourselves! I’ll have to stop by Brother Richie’s site. May God shower you with His graces and love during your Lenten Journey!
Hi, Noreen! The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is usually done after the ceremony on Holy Thursday. They usually build a what they call a “Monumento” surrounded with lots of flowers and that’s where they place the Blessed Sacrament for people to visit and pray. I guess all Catholic Parishes have this every Holy Thursday. Hope you get to find one in your place. Will check on the Lenten Prayer about fasting from gossip, judging others, etc. Thanks for letting me know about it. God bless.
Hi Ginnie! Thanks for sharing the calender from Brother Richie Yap. 🙂 Just like you, our family also goes on Visita Iglesia during Holy Thursday. We then do the Stations of the Cross with the family on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. 🙂 Thanks for sharing all these, Ginnie! God bless you and your family!
Hi, Ginger! Thanks for stopping by. Was so glad that I saw the calendar, it has been a great help and inspiration to our family, too. And happy to share it as well. 🙂 God bless always.
Hi Ginnie! 🙂 Thanks for dropping by my blog, and for joining the link-up! 🙂 I love your Lenten ideas and thoughts. I saw the calendar before when someone emailed it to me — awesome ideas! 🙂 Let’s continue to pray that we’ll keep love, not just in Lent, but beyond Lent, too! 🙂 I’m so happy to know that you and your hubby were with SFC; are you with CFC now? 🙂 God bless always!
Hello, Tina! After getting married, we were with CFC for a while. Unfortunately, we were not able to continue when we transferred house and when I started having kids. Had a hard time managing our schedule that time. But we are seriously thinking of joining again. 🙂
The St. Augustine Quote is wonderful and profound. So important to do things out of love and not simply as a duty. Something to keep thinking about really. Also a great calendar too!
Hi, Stephanie! I agree with you, St. Augustine’s quote is such a short one but full of meaning. 🙂 Thanks for dropping by. Have a great day ahead. 🙂
The chart is a fabulous idea, thank you for sharing it! And, I was just looking today for a perfect quote for our “inspiration chalkboard” that hangs in our kitchen. The St. Augustine quote is perfect!
Hi, Susan! Glad that you also find both the chart and the quote helpful. Thanks for dropping by. Have a great week ahead. 🙂
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Sorry…I might be commenting twice. I’m just fascinated with the thought of visiting 7 different Churches and praying before the Blessed Sacrament, with the family. What an awesome tradition this is! I’m not sure if we could take this on this year (especially with my youngest who once took a ride, hanging off of the holy water font before I could grab him)…but I would love to do this in a couple years when the kids are older. Thanks for sharing!
Hello, Monique! Hope you get to do Visita Iglesia when your kids are older. See you around in the net. 🙂 Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
I love the quote from St. Augustine because my theme of life is celebrating joy.
Joyalive.net
Hi, Nancy! Celebrating joy is a beautiful theme. Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
I must concur with Nancy, I love that quote from St Augustine. Joy is my gift from God . I need to post that quote-thanks!!
Hi, Melanie! Really a beautiful quote! 🙂 Thanks for visiting. 🙂
my pleasure, God bless
Excellent chart. It wonderful to see all of these great resources. Have a Blessed Lent.
Hi, Cecilia! Thanks for dropping by. 🙂 Have a Blessed Lent.
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