We can still deepen our faith in Christ this Lent amidst the pandemic by doing some soul-searching, meditation, reflection and more prayers. While we may not be allowed to organise any Church events for safety reasons, we are given the opportunity for spending more time with the Lord privately. We can set a schedule for private bible study on our own which will lead us to a more convenient personal conversation with the Lord. We can learn and pray with our friends through video calls and we can do bible verse sharing also through the social media. The acts of Mercy of visiting the sick or those in prison which we used to do during Lent may not be possible but we can double our time in praying for them. We can always give ourselves time to study, grow in our faith and glorify God through our good words, thoughts and deeds. After all, the strength of our faith depends on our personal relationship with God and is seen through how we deal with people around us.
— Caroline Aclibon
I t is difficult for us to follow the traditional practices of the Church during Lent in this time of pandemic where gatherings are prohibited for health risk reasons. However this situation should not stop us from nurturing and deepening our faith in Christ. We can still put our faith into action by calling our family, friends as well as the needy people such as those who are seriously affected by the pandemic, and give them some words of encouragement, lift up their spirits and pray with them. The social media can also be of big help as we can have video calls and bible sharing through Zoom meetings. We may need to put a little more personal time with the Lord by meditation and direct confession as Masses are suspended and other Lent activities are not allowed. We can always pray for one another, no matter how far away we are from each other. We can pray that the whole world will be healed.
— Rina Alcos
We can deepen our relationship with the Lord through our daily prayers no matter where we are and whatever situation we are in. It is our daily dose fueling our mind and soul for our everyday life. Our current situation is not a hindrance to stop us from doing what we should do in Lent. Instead we should all be united as children of God. Repent, pray and surrender everything to him. Everything will follow if we put God in the centre of our lives which can give us real joy. If we truely love God, everything comes out naturally as we reach out to different organisations to extend our help. Let us all pray to heal our world, love one another and pray earnestly to our Creator.
— Carole Aportadera
The world is in chaos and hurting in this present pandemic. The social life of people is limited by the rules of social distancing, lockdowns and other means of slowing down the spread of the virus. Our Lent in this time of crisis can be more meaningful as we use our time to deepen our faith in Christ. When we cannot do our Lenten outreach to the poor and the elderly, we can remember them in our prayers. We can do our Lenten deed of mercy through financial donations to an organisation helping the needy, such as a feeding centre for malnourished children. We are never lost on the ways of walking with Christ as we can be guided by one of his great teachings, “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
— Evaliza Gomac
During this pandemic where we cannot freely gather or socialise with others, we take it as an opportunity for faith revival in a private way. It means we still can grow in our faith by giving ourselves more time in reading the Bible. We can meditate and reflect on what we learn from reading the Word of God. We can take the time of being alone as a form of retreat and spend our time communicating and strengthening our relationdhip with Christ. We can also make maximum use of social media in Lent during this pandemic. For me, I may watch the Passion of the Christ movie and reflect on Jesus’ sacrifices and love for us. These are only some of many ways of rebuilding and strengthening our faith in Christ amidst the crisis.
— Marieta Napudo
