On Saturday 24 February 2024, 7 young people from the vocations group of the parish of Notre Dame de la Présentation de Marza, in Ngaoundéré – a town in the northern part of CAMEROON – met to look together at how to live the Lenten season of 2024.
In fact, for several years now, it has been a habit for these young people, who are seeking to give meaning to their lives, to make a pause with the Lord at each high point of the Church to love and serve our brothers and sisters in the manner of our Saviour. After my introductory prayer in the chapel of the sanctuary on Marza hill, the young OUDOU François, leader of the group, spoke to us about this question: “As a young person, how should I live this Lenten season of 2024? “.
In preparation for the discussion, he began by asking each of us what we understood by “Lent”. After we had all spoken, we came up with several definitions of the word “Lent”, including the following: it’s a time for more prayer, for sharing, for strengthening our fraternal ties by abandoning our bad habits; it’s also a time to change the way we think about our lives…. For young Oudou, the best ways to live Lent better as a young person from Marza are: prayer, fasting (a real tool of resistance against excesses) which purifies us physically and spiritually, and sharing with everyone. He concluded by telling us that our Lenten efforts must continue even after Lent.
After this talk and a few questions, we spent some time in personal prayer, followed by the celebration of the Eucharist. The meeting ended with a fraternal meal brought by each member of the group.
Before going our separate ways, a number of resolutions were adopted… With God’s grace, we intend to live out our prayer and charity more fully.
Sister Vedette NDAOKAÏ, DHS, Ngaoundéré-Marza novitiate.
Published on 25 February 2024
