Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.
For Catholics, the holy season of Lent is upon us. We’ve collected our top 5 “ideas for Lent” photos to give you some inspiration on how to spread love, give thanks, and spend time in prayerful reflection. Plus, these hope-filled photos from our sites will give you a lovely sight to start off your 2021 Lenten season.
#5: Spend more time in prayer
Spending more time in prayer is a sure way to have a holy and blessed Lent. When one silences the mind in prayerful reflection, it’s easier to grow closer to God in heart, body, and soul. These children from our Samar site in the Philippines are taking some time before lunch to give prayers of thanksgiving to our Holy Father.
#4: Switch to fish on Fridays
For some Catholics, it’s tradition to abstain from eating meat on Fridays over Lent in honour of Jesus’s sacrifice on Good Friday. However, fish has become a common substitute, and it’s now a popular Lenten practice to have “fish Fridays” over the 40 days of Lent.
At our Asembo site in Kenya, a special $8000 CAD grant helped an entire small community purchase enough fishing boats and supplies to sustain their livelihoods. The woman who donated the money did so in honour of her late husband, who passed away at the age of just 49.
#3: Reach out to a neighbour
Reaching out to those in need is a great way to spread kindness and look at others through the eyes of Christ. Our PINIFE site in Peru frequently helps those in need within their community. They distributed hygiene packages filled with soap, toothbrushes, shampoo and detergent to low-income community members and chapel attendees as a show of solidarity!
#2: Thank your priest
This Lent, you can thank your priest for diligently sharing the word of God with your parish community. On a mission trip to our Fatima site in Bolivia, we had the chance to hear Fr. Jesús Osorno, the site director, deliver Mass. Chalice has partnered with Our Lady of Fatima Parish since 2010 to deliver loving care and relief to children and elders in need.
#1: Study the scripture
Reflecting on the Holy Gospel is one way to grow closer to Jesus this Lenten season. Read and reflect on God’s word alone or with loved ones. You can even join a virtual reflection group to grow together in His word! This young girl from our Neema site in Tanzania is enjoying reflecting on the scripture with a trusted Sister from our site.
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