Go to a quiet place and pray
Here is another bracelet on prayer. If not for anything, for the very fact prayer is one of the pillars of the season of Lent, it would not be out of place to have as many reflections and points for action on prayer. As the raising of our minds and hearts to God, we become better in communicating with him when we immerse ourselves in prayer. By being one with him, we gradually rise in our consciousness of his presence in and around us. Once it becomes a habit for us to pray, winning also becomes usual. Of course, to win does not mean we shall always find what we want the way we want them. But we learn to abide by what God says is best for us. The habit of prayer grows from one stage to another. We develop from vocal prayer to meditative and contemplative prayer. Beyond the ordinary words we use when we say vocal prayers, there is the stage of meditation in which we do not use just words, but take time to reflect on the words we pray and allow God speak to us. We listen.
There is also a further stage; contemplation. This is a stage in which we do not even need to say any word because our thoughts are fixed on the love of God. We contemplate the mystery of his love for us. However, the desired growth in our prayer life cannot be well achieved if we do not learn to pray in quiet, where we can really move away from the noise around us and concentrate on the Lord. Jesus did the same when early before dawn. He withdrew to a lonely place to pray (Mark 1:35). The encounter we have with the Lord in a quiet place is always unique. Try it today. Look for a quiet place to pray. Let go of the noise and let God in quiet.

Revisit your resolutions
If we break the journey of forty days in two, it would be appropriate to say that the second part begins today, being the twenty-first day. How time flies. Ash Wednesday seemed like just yesterday. That is how quickly time can move, especially when we are occupied with things that help and build us positively. With twenty days gone by, it is time we checked how well we have done. It is time to ask if we are still consistent with the momentum we had at the beginning. It is time to revisit the resolutions we had at the beginning to check if we have made any progress. We need to remind ourselves that the season is all about making progress spiritually. As we make an effort to build ourselves materially, so do our souls deserve to be cared for.
Try and recall the things you promised yourself to drop in this season. Try also to remember the good attitudes or things you said you will make an effort to do better. If not all, how about the few you can put together? Have you made some effort in this regard? You may even list them out. If you notice that you have made progress, keep trying. Each step gets you closer to getting better. But be honest. If you see that you have not made so much progress on the goals you set for the season, the time to restart is now. It is not late. Just be more conscious of your focus. Be courageous in your decision. Make choices that go along with those resolutions. Go one day at a time. You will see good results of spiritual growth.
Choose and read about a saint model
In simple terms, a saint is one whose love for God is extraordinary and, for that reason, lived an exemplary holy life. Saints are models of dedication to God and love of neighbour. They lived with total commitment to God and are worthy of emulation. They offered their ordinary daily lives to the service of God in an extraordinary way. The Church as the Bride of Christ has many saints, which she has canonized. These and many others unnamed are celebrated as examples of continuous faithfulness to God, even as frail human beings, prone to temptation and sin. The Church believes that these are in heaven, and they are the ones who “have come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes clean in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). They made the effort to serve God extraordinarily.
This is what we are all called to be. God made us to know him, to love him, and to serve him in this world and by that, to be happy with him in the next. We are all called to be saints. We should begin to aspire towards sainthood right from here. We have the opportunity to learn from the good examples of those who have gone before us, both those the Church has canonized and others we may know whose lives are exemplary and worthy of emulation. We may choose one or two whose way of life inspires us and read about them. By that, we pick the striking features in their lives, reflect on them, and weave them into the way we live. This could help us on our journey too, as we aspire to make heaven. Lent is meant to help us get better on this journey, Choosing and reading about a saint model can contribute to that.
Stay strong! Look up!
The journey continues. We go again after the Laetare Sunday. With every step, we inch closer to the goal, to rise to new life with the risen Lord. The message of the Laetare Sunday is that we should rejoice. That joy comes to its height when the Son of Man is raised up, as the serpent was raised in the desert, that everyone who looks at him will be saved. He promised it. He will never fail. It is ours to stay strong, stay focused and look up. We may not have ar rived at the finishing line yet. But we have come a long way. Staying focused is key. Going back into ourselves, reconciling with God and the neighbor, is an important message for this season. Indeed, it would not be limited to Lent. The message is louder in the season because it is expected that the impact would show in our lives after the season. It is expected that we come out of the season better than we began it. Hence, the various activities we carry out, denying ourselves pleasure that our bodies may obey us. In other words, we should try to make each step count not just for the period of forty days. The good we have acquired in our character and for the soul must continue to manifest. This demands that we look up and stay strong. It is another way of saying never give up. Focus on the prize.
Participate in a retreat
The period of forty days has broken in two, and we are treading the second half of the season. As things stand, each one of us should have taken some bold steps personally, which would amount to counting the blessings of the season when Easter comes. This is commendable. But there is still a lot to gain when we can gather with a group for a retreat. This could be physical or virtual, as the media affords us the opportunity today. The benefits of participating in a retreat are immense, as it helps to listen to and learn from the experiences of others. We are led by the voice of God through the one who directs the retreat. We also pray together. In a world where there is a lot of talking because everyone wants to have a voice and be heard, not minding whether what is said is meaningful or not, a retreat helps us to listen. One of the best ways to achieve this is to look out for the time of your parish Lenten retreat and be part of it. Psalm 1 has some deep words about gathering to meditate on the dictates of the Lord. Have you ever reflected on it? They are just fitting for anyone who wishes to take part in such a gathering as a retreat. Hear this excerpt from the psalm, “Blessed is he who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of scorners; but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and ponders his law, day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” This is the kind of benefit that participating in a retreat could give.
Pray for the sick
The attitude of charity extends to reaching out to those who need help. We should share material goods with the needy. However, being charitable is not limited to offering material benefits. We should also learn to pray for the needy. We should accompany the needy in prayer that as we help them materially, they may find solace also in mind and heart. The sick are a part of the needy who need not just our material support but also spiritual support. Even though it is becoming a common language to as we say speak good, positive things to ourselves, and for that some people claim to be strong when they are sick. So instead of accepting they need help, they “reject it in Jesus’ name.”” Yet, first among what Jesus and his name would rather have a sick person do is to accept that he needs help and to pray with faith for healing. It is, therefore , essential to support the sick by praying for them.
While there are many who we know, there are surely many more we do not know who need our prayers. The prayer we say with faith for them will surely reach them. For example, those who visit and pray with the sick, as part of their Legion of Mary duties, come back with a lot of beautiful testimonies, of how the sick felt supported in their pain and of how many were healed by the prayer of faith which they prayed. If you can do this, it will not go in vain. If you can not visit a hospital, you can still do so from wherever you are. Spend some time today to pray for the sick. You may even make it a daily duty even beyond the season of Lent. You will be providing comfort and support for them.
• Rev. Fr. Martin Badejo is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Oyo.