with Nelia Dingcong-Bernabe

You can almost count on it. As soon as Ash Wednesday arrives, my American friend Beth does not fail to give me The Magnificat Lenten Companion. It has now become a tradition between us and every year, I look forward to her special gift.

The Magnificat is a little booklet of inspiring daily reflections and short prayers that guide you during Lent season and help you get ready for the Holy Week. It encourages meditation and reflection every day and allows you to embrace everything that is good and beautiful about the Catholic faith.

Every little thing helps around here. The observance of Holy Week in my corner of the world pales in comparison to how the Philippines celebrate it. Other than the visual reminders at church during Sundays around this time of the year, people pretty much go about their lives just like ordinary times.

For those who pine for the way things are done back home, you find refuge in anything that will allow you to do a little more around this time. For those who choose to not give up anything, there are many who would abstain from eating meat on Fridays. For those who opt for not making any sacrifices, there are those who make the conscious effort to be extra generous, extra kind and extra nice.

For the most part, the efforts by a lot of people to be godlike should be acknowledged. People do try to be nicer, kinder and gentler around this time. In my case, I tend to be a little more understanding, a little more patient and a little more forgiving. Taking the high road and becoming the bigger person when confronted with unsavory situations are definitely espoused this time of the year.

There’s no denying one thing though. It is hard. It is hard to give up something that we’ve been used to doing for a long time.  The priest always says: Give up at least one thing to show penance. He mentions watching TV, the Internet, listening to music, shopping, complaining, gossiping, bickering and many, many more. Which of these do you give up?

Well it is only hard if you give up something now. That’s like smoking. How many people do you know have successfully given up smoking cold turkey? Survey shows a small percent compared to those who quit gradually. Sacrificing or giving up something during Lent only becomes hard if you just thought of doing it now. The trick is to do it every day of the year instead of doing it only around this time just because you kind of have to.

But certainly, what you do during Lent is really a personal choice. It is a challenge where I live because we have to contend with the weather. It’s always unpredictable in Chicago just like the last few days. As soon as March 21 arrives, we herald the arrival of spring, which means technically, we should not be seeing snow. But this is Chicago so guess what? We have been getting snow the last two weeks. Due to the weather’s unpredictability here, we won’t experience any religious re-enactments or processions on the streets. Celebrating Lent in short becomes a personal crusade.

As we get to the end of the this very holy celebration for Christians, we become consciously aware of our responsibilities as followers of Christ but foremost, we become steadfast in our resolve to be better children of God.

America is a little different. Different in the sense that once Easter approaches, kids and the young-at-hearts also welcome the Easter Bunny and go on an Easter egg hunt. Well, it would not be America if these were not done. Although the mention of the Easter Bunny and egg hunting may make it seem commercialized and Hallmark-y, the importance of celebrating Easter Sunday is definitely not undermined or lost here.

Easter, like Christmas, is a celebration of the cycle of life – one struggles, one reaps and one comes full circle. The resurrection of Christ gives us hope. It is a true testament of our faith that while we are alive, we can experience rebirth, renewal, re-awakening, reconnection and re-emergence. It serves as a constant reminder that while we have hope, we also have the chance to mend our ways, strengthen our relationships and right all our wrongs.

The beauty of Easter goes beyond its religious trappings. Its arrival allows us to get a stack of our lives - do a mental inventory of what needs fixing, what needs tweaking, what needs an overhaul and what needs to be maintained. It also goes beyond the seasonal sacrifices that we make. The challenge really is opening our hearts and our minds to embark on more and bigger spiritual missions and practice compassion, kindness and humility.

Wherever you are and whatever your circumstance in life, look to Easter as not merely a day where everything changes for you. Instead look to this very special day as the beginning of a new life for you as you walk alongside the resurrected Christ.

As I often hear it being mentioned, the path to righteousness is never easy but don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay to falter and fall, the important thing really is to keep going on the straight and narrow path regardless of how difficult it may seem. And you know what else they say? At the end of the rainbow is pot of gold. The rewards of staying true to your faith are immense and immeasurable.

Happy Easter everyone!!! Here’s to Easter bunnies, Easter eggs and a lifelong path to joy, happiness and love as we walk together in the cradle of our faith!

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