Image License: Feldbrahi, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
St Francis de Sales said, “Lent is the autumn of the spiritual life during which we gather fruit to keep us going for the rest of the year.” Unlike many Catholics in the world, we Oceanians have Lent in Autumn. Here are a few suggestions to help observe it in the family:
Lent is a great time to pray the Stations of the Cross and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. My family has nailed fourteen crosses to trees around our land. On Fridays in Lent, we frequently invite friends over for Stations of the Cross, praying one station at each cross.
Some other Lenten traditions my family has are: decorating big letters to spell “Alleluia” and burying them, to be dug up after Easter; using purple cloth on our family prayer table; making “crown-of-thorns” with salt-dough and toothpicks, and pulling out a thorn every time we do a good deed.
Wishing you all a blessed Lent!