Sacrifices for Lent

Dear crusaders,

Lent started a few days ago.   Your good parents are telling you that you have to give up something, to do sacrifices for Lent, but you may wonder what to do.  Let me tell you a story:

Little Johnny was told to give up candies for Lent. His mother said that the money saved from candies would be given to the poor. During the day, but when his mother was gone, Johnny used to put his hand in the cookie jar and grab a few candies.  The mother noticed that candies were disappearing.  She told Johnny: “What happened!  The candies are gone.  We will have nothing to give to the poor. Johnny, did you take it?”  But every time, Johnny denied.

One day, Johnny heard his guardian angel, who was not happy with him.  Johnny answered back: “But, Timothy (the name he gave to his guardian angel), why are you mad at me.  When mummy is in the kitchen, I do my sacrifices for Lent: I don’t take candies!”  “But, Johnny, the sacrifices you do when your mother sees you have no value, because you are doing exactly the opposite when she is gone.”

The angel carried on: “Now listen.  If you want to be a good boy, and make a good Lent, obey to your mother.  Did you notice that she is very tired because she is going to have another baby soon?  You should go to clean the bathroom.  Your mother will be so happy to find out what you did it without being asked for.  She will give you some money.  Then, go to the store, and buy some candies to replace what you took without permission.  This will be a very good Lent for you.”

As mummy was resting, Johnny went to clean the bathroom.  Not only, had he done the bathroom, but also the kitchen and the laundry room.  After dinner, and the family Rosary, Johnny’s father told him:  “I want to congratulate you, Johnny, you did a very good job helping your mother, and here is some money. What are you going to do with it?”  Johnny was a bit embarrassed, because his father didn’t know that he had stolen the cookies; so he said: “I am going to give that money to the poor children.”  “Very good, Johnny!  I will add ten times to your gift to the poor.  On top of that, at Easter, I will give you a bag of candies.”

Like Johnny, I am sure that you can do many things to help your parents around the house.  A very good sacrifice for Lent would be to do these things without being told.  By the end of Lent, you should be able to gather a big treasure.  Being obedient to His Father till the end, Jesus gave us the example that the best sacrifices are those done out of obedience.

Father Dominique Boulet

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