Lent for UTARians

Lent is tomorrow! This marks the beginning of a 40-day period of trying to increase our holiness and piousness; but Lent is not all that grim, in fact it gives us the hope to look forward to the risen Christ and a second chance for us to restart our new year's resolution. 

Being a UTAR student in Kampar provides us with the opportunity of being tempted only for us to overcome those temptation and through those actions making us stronger in our relationship with God and with others. We call ourselves a family because of the faith that we share with one another and the support we provide, and "inspiring each of us to love our neighbour and devote ourselves what the Church's tradition call the spiritual and corporal works of mercy"1. 

Below then is a list of what we can do for Lent, take note that this is just a guideline and has nothing to do with anything official but there's a guarantee that following some of it will make your Lent a little more meaningful this semester. In no particular order, here goes!

1. Go for the Way of the Cross on Fridays
2. Pray with a friend
3. Proudly do the Sign of the Cross before every meals
4. Less binge watching anime, sitcoms, dramas or any of our favourite TV series
5. Teh tarik kurang manis or better yet teh kosong
6. Which take us to - less mamak sessions
7. Less DOTA! (or LoL, or HoN)
8. Walk to campus and enjoy the morning sunrise
9. Start on your assignment as soon as you get it. 
10. Volunteer to print one set of notes for your friend
11. Join either Tuesday's or Thursday's weekly gathering
12. Say "Hi" and have a conversation with another member whom you never speak to
13. Invite a fellow Catholic for Mass (if he/she rarely goes)
14. Invite a non-Catholic for any of CSS's activities
15. Save an extra Ringgit to put in the collection bag every Sunday
16. No eating that just-fried fried chicken. Instead buy it for another person.
17. Support a completely unrelated (meaning not because they are your friend's or because of your course) society's event on campus
18. Give an honest hug to someone who might need it after Sunday Mass
19. Volunteer at the soup kitchen on Saturdays at Church
20. Greet and smile at the campus cleaners, if you're brave enough strike a conversation with them, you'll be surprised
21. DON'T SIGN YOUR FRIEND'S ATTENDANCE or ask a friend to sign for you
22. Call your parents more often
23. Read a spiritual book or article (for starters you can start with Evangelii Gaudium or any Pope's message to youths)
24. Pick up random rubbish on the pathway while you're heading to Block C or Block K
25. Offer a ride (if you have a car) to someone who's walking under the hot sun or when it starts to rain
26. Say thank you to your lecturers after class
27. No Maggi or Ramen or Mamee!
28. No side comments on people you don't know
29. Save that extra ringgit for the Lenten Love Squad
30. Save another extra ringgit for another charity outside of Church
31. Practice recycling
32. Lessen on going to the CC (Cyber cafe)
33. Go to Confession NOT only during the Penitential service at Church
34. Start a conversation with Uncle Lawrence or Uncle John Lau (our van drivers) or whomever that picks us up at Bus Stop 3
35. No skipping classes
36. No MCs!
37. Forgive your assignment-mate if he or she slacks
38. Smile more at people
39. Start with the minimum of saying thank you to Jesus before going to sleep
40. Don't sleep during class
41. Keep your handphone in your pocket during meals with friends and ESPECIALLY DURING MASS
42. For a change join the Tuesday's CSS gathering (if you go on Thursdays) or vice versa; you'll discover something new
43. Enjoy the sunset
44. Sweep your house's common area
45. Surprise your friend with a meal
46. Fast on Fridays
47. Honestly pray for a friend who might need it
48. Volunteer to visit the Orang Asal or migrants with Sister Amy from time to time
49. Lessen on streaming videos on your home internet
50. After Mass go to either those outside your circle or aunties or uncles and wish them a good week ahead.

The list might go on and on, basically there are numerous little things we can do this Lent; in fact we're lucky to be in UTAR where there are a lot of options for us to learn about our faith, and to "increase our measure of authenticity as disciples of Jesus, and our credibility as Christians in today's world"2. Don't neglect Lent and brush it off as another rigid thing the Catholic Church practices, in fact take it as a personal challenge to make ourselves as better disciples of Christ and to be his witnesses in our daily lives. 

1. Lent 2016: "I desire mercy not sacrifice" (Mat 9:13) The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee
2. XXXI World Youth Day message: Blessed are the merciful, they shall obtain mercy (Mat 5:7)