Would You Be My Traveling Companion This Lenten Season?
Have you ever wonder what the primary nature of the bee is? To produce honey. Then you might ask why does it sting if honey production it’s is primary taks? Self defense especially when it feels it’s primary nature is been threatened. 
Taking a clue from this what then do you think/ feel is God’s primary nature? MERCY and FORGIVENESS. In Ex. 34:6 He reveals himself as “a God full of tender love and graciousness, slow to anger, and abounding in fidelity and kindness.”
Note that it’s not in God’s nature not to grant mercy; it hurts him. Ezekiel 18:32 & 33:11 tells us that He takes no pleasure in the death of the sinner but wants the sinner to repent and be saved. Ps. 130:4 says in him is found forgiveness for he takes no record of wrongs done (v.3). The Prophet Jonah (4:2) even acknowledges this nature and gave it as the very reason why he fled to Tarshish.
Friend, this is the jubilee year of divine mercy as declare by Pope Francis. We really need to seek the mercy of God and not run/hide from it as Adam did in the garden when the Lord came looking for him Gen. 3:8-10.
The wonderful and awesome season of Lent is here again. A moment of concrete show of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness. God is inviting us to come and reason it over with him (Is. 1:18). Ash Wednesday is just two days from now are you prepared for it? Last year’s journey was just awesome. The 40 days fast was just beautiful. Now begin to pack your bag for the journey.
The theme for this year’s journey in line with the year of mercy is: CHANGE MY STORY LORD (Jonah 3:7-9).
1. Begin and end each day with praise singing.
2. Your 40 days fast begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, Sundays are not included. You are free to end your daily fasting either by 12 noon, 3pm or 6pm as your body, spirit, and health can carry you. Whatever time you choose to end your day’s fast maintain it for the whole period.
Try and deprive/ abstain from that which you desire, at least one of those habits or whatever.
3. Try and keep a daily spiritual journal of your experiences during these periods, especially your dreams.
4. Pray the Rosary daily – the sorrowful mystery. If you can pray the whole twenty decades of the Rosary but at 12 midnight. If you are not a catholic ask your catholic friend to teach you.
5. Since this is the year of divine mercy pray the chaplet of divine mercy daily (if you can let it be by 3am, it takes just 10mins. You can program your alarm to wake you up). You can get the chaplet of divine mercy online. Just google it.
6. Say the prayer before the crucifix throughout this period (you can also google it as well)
7. Attend mass at least three times a week
8. Visit the blessed sacrament and spend at least 5mins three times a week too.
9. Attend the stations of the cross.
10. Go for sacramental confession.
11. Read and prayer with the books of Deuteronomy, Lamentations and the prophet Jonah. One chapter each day. Begin with Deuteronomy before moving to the next, not the three at once.
12. Partake of the Holy Week activities.
13. Begin your bread and water bowl. This is setting aside money in a purse faithfully for anytime you use a word or you do anything that does not glorify God. For example using a curse or swear word, you need to put an offering in the purse, something meaningful. At the end of this season put the contents of the purse into an envelope, write on it my 2016 bread and water bowl and take it to your priest/pastor, explain what it is and ask for His blessings.
14. You also need to make a daily sacrifice (monetary) on your daily fasting. At the end of the period put it also in an envelope, write on it my 2016 fasting sacrifice and hand over to your priest/ pastor as the case may be. In 2 Sam. 24:24 David said, “I will not offer to the Lord my God a sacrifice that costs me nothing.”
15. Please read a spiritual book, preferably the life of a saint.
16. On Easter Sunday make a personal thanksgiving for the completion of your 40 days journey.
Then wait on God. Don’t go looking for change, let God be God and do what he wills. Remember you are meant to push (pray until something happens) while God does the movement.
It’s see you on the starting line on Wednesday. God bless you.