Voters may have pondered about who to cast their ballot for during yesterday’s day of reflection, but some used their time to spiritually reflect on the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
With three weeks until Good Friday, The Times set out to find how Maltese were marking Lent. Most of the older gener-ation still observe the Catholic tradition they inherited but the younger ones are less moved to make sacrifices.
Carmen Pace, 78, spoke about holding back from life’s little pleasures, such as sweets.
“I encourage my grandchildren to follow in my footsteps too – if, at my age, I can make a little sacrifice, so can they.”
For 64-year-old Antonia Miruzzi, Lent does not mean curbing her appetite but is all about holding one’s tongue and not spending as much time in front of the small screen as she usually did.
“I believe that a person should not just devote himself to pleasure. It actually does a person good to sacrifice a little.”
Monica Muscat, 65, also believes in what she terms “mortification”.
“If someone offends you, you don’t retaliate. If someone does you a wrong turn, you don’t pay them back. It’s all about holding back and spending more time in prayer.
“I know people who are meeting in groups and conducting a chain rosary to pray that no violence will break out during the election.”
Yet for many younger people, Lent does not seem to retain the deep religious significance it holds for the older generations.
According to Claire Amato, 32, Lent is more of an excuse to diet and shave off a few pounds.
“In the past, I used to cut down on sweets throughout the entire 40-day period. Then that turned to Wednesdays and Fridays only, and eventually, to Our Lady of Sorrows and Good Friday. It was more about my own gain.”
And Russell Attard, 18, has never observed Lent in his life.
According to Fr Charles Tabone, it all boils down to who is taking religion seriously.
“Unfortunately, religion has become a religion of convenience – it’s become more of a habit as opposed to actually practising it.”
Despite the dwindling numbers of people attending Mass, Fr Charles remains optimistic about youths and their involvement.
“The youths who come to church do so because they are truly convinced and they truly want to move closer to God, and not because they are forced to do so.
“From my experience, such youths truly live Lent. It’s a time of preparation. Many of the youths I’m in touch with attend Lenten talks, do voluntary work, and even go on missionary work in poorer countries for a period of time.”
He added that the Lenten talks he organised at the Jesus of Nazareth church in Sliema, which this year will be held between March 18 and 22 at 8.30pm, were surprisingly packed with enthusiastic young people.
“It’s a pretty amazing thing to witness – these people turn up for an entire week to listen to God.
“That’s why I’m so optimistic about youths – I think that often enough, the Church doesn’t find a way of communicating properly among youths.
“Lent often serves to draw people towards God and the Church – even people who have spent as long as 10 years away from church.”
According to Lorella Galea, a 23-year-old member of Catholic youth group Y4J, the dwindling number of young people is an issue that has to be addressed by the Church.
“Many youths perceive Lenten talks as being boring affairs. Peer pressure plays a hand in all this – many don’t think it ‘cool’ to attend such things.
“In reality they’re fun and they help you discover more about yourself and God. Our Lenten talks include songs, dancing and addresses by people about how they met God in their life. They’re a fulfilling experience.”
Y4J Lenten talks for youths will be held at 8pm at the Salesian Theatre, Sliema, from March 11 to 16.