To mark the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick reflected on ways that the faithful can live out the “three pillars” which characterise this penitential season: charity, sacrifice and prayer.
Bishop Leahy said, “Lent invites us to focus on charity, sacrifice and prayer to help us grow closer to God. In terms of charity, many homes are familiar with the Trócaire box, and some contribute to a favoured charity, or cause, to help another. Similarly, the decision of a person to make a sacrifice, or to forfeit something we enjoy, is an effort to follow the selflessness of Jesus.”
Emphasising the centrality of prayer for Christians, the Bishop of Limerick said, “The power of prayer allows us to communicate directly with God, anytime, in a church or anywhere. With the hustle and bustle of family life this can be hard, but there always meal times, the Angelus, or with children before they go to sleep.
