Lessons this Lent 2026
Here's my late follow up post to this year's Lent.
1. Buy palm leaves and branches NEAR the church
I never bought palm leaves for Palm Sunday before. My neighbor, Joe, told me that he got his pair for almost P200. I prepare the same amount to get a pair as well.
I got mine for P50 each on the way to Mass. Around 200 meters away from the church.
And just outside the church, people were selling palm leaves and branches, and still making them for church-goers. Each for as low as P35.
2. Go to Mass early during Holy Week
from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, be at Church an 30 mins to an hour before Mass. Lots of people. Lots of parades.
I'm not a fan of navigating through a crowd.
3. Plan the night before on Friday's menu
I had a delicious breakfast one Friday—eating lugaw with some meat (pork). I only realized that I had broken my abstinence when I was prepping for dinner.
Although, this doesn't count as a 'mortal' sin, I was looking forward to completing the six Fridays with no land roaming meat. I failed my challenge this year. But it's a good start.
I look forward for next year's Lent.
The past 6 weeks were fun, despite the thinking that fasting and abstaining would be too much. It's actually doable when you put your mind into it. I lost a few kilograms along the process (89 to 86). Which is good for me, given that I'm overweight as I'm writing this.