Today is first Sunday of Lent. Lent, in most Christian denominations, is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan. Jesus overcame all three of Satan's temptations by citing scripture to the devil, at which point the devil left him, angels ministered to Jesus, and he began his ministry.

Different churches will calculate the forty days differently. The number forty has many other Biblical references: the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God; the forty days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb; God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah; the Hebrew people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land; Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of Nineveh forty days time in which to repent.

The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, as celebrated during Holy Week, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Traditionally, on Easter Sunday, Roman Catholics may cease their fasting and start again whatever they gave up for lent, after they attend Sunday mass. Other Western denominations have also followed this general principle to a greater or lesser degree.

When I was attending the Catholic church, I used to practise Lent where I tried my best to do some sacrifices and watch my behaviour during this period of time. Like watching lesser movies, having less sumptuous meals (a time for dieting..keke..), more charity work, trying HARD not to sin...too much. I remembered I kinda dreaded the Stations of the Cross that I had to attend coz in my former church there was no aircon..and we had to stand and kneel, stand and kneel so it was really tiring and HOT.

The Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. It may be done at any time, but is most commonly done during the Season of Lent, especially on Good Friday and on Friday evenings during Lent. The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through mediating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death. It has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, as well as featuring in the worship and devotion of other Christian denominations.

The Stations themselves are usually a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

1) Jesus is condemned to death
2) Jesus receives the cross
3) Jesus falls the first time
4) Jesus meets His Mother
5) Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6) Veronica wipes Jesus' face with her veil
7) Jesus falls the second time
8) Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9) Jesus falls the third time
10) Jesus is stripped of His garments
11) Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12) Jesus dies on the cross
13) Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Pieta)
14) Jesus is laid in the tomb

Now that I am attending the Presbyterian church, although we dont practise Lent but for me, it is good to remember this period of time leading to Easter. It kinda makes Easter more meaningful in a way. Of course, it doesnt mean that only during Lentern period that we do sacrifices and watch ourselves but in our everyday life...as a Christian, we should strive to be Christ-like in the things that we do and say. It is not so easy but that is our challenge and our mission...in this world that we live in.

I was looking through my past blog entries and I realised that I had alot of long posts in the earlier stages of blogging...mostly about my reflections and thoughts. As the years goes by, there were lesser long posts but more posts of pictures that I have taken of things happening to me. To me, I realised that I have lesser complaints and grievances now than before so there were lesser long posts of reflections and things that I am unhappy about. Now there are just more posts of happy pictures and of happy things happening to me.

I realised that when I am "sadder" I tend to think more and when I am happier...I think less. I am glad that I have an avenue at least to post about my unhappiness and have people around me to support me in my times of need. I can imagine those unhappy people who dont like to talk about their unhappiness or dont know how to or have no one to talk to and they keep it all inside them...it can be quite suffocating.

Indeed I am thankful to God for all the blessings that He has given me all these years and the times of sadness and "suffering" make me what I am today and make me grateful for what I have been given. Sure I would love to have a life like a bed of roses but that wouldnt make life more substantial and meaningful. Everyone has to go through ups and downs and people thank God for the blessings that they have recieved but they dont really thank God for the sufferings that they encounter. But it is through these sufferings that we learn about things that eventually make us happier in end. However it is not so easy to see the bigger picture when we are really sad..to "see through" these sad times and find out why God wants us to go through them. Again, it is another challenge. And we should trust in God that He will not let us go through hard times too much for us to handle and that He will provide for us, to the good of His people, for those who love and follow Him.