Talk story: Embarking on the Lenten journey

OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY

“Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to God as he speaks to us. And how does he speak to us? First, in the word of God, which the church offers us in the liturgy. In addition to the Scriptures, the Lord speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, especially in the faces and the stories of those who are in need.” (Pope Francis, Message for Lent 2023)

On Feb. 17, Pope Francis released a new message “Lenten Penance and the Synodal Journey.” In his message for Lent this year, he chose the Gospel of the Transfiguration, inviting us to an experience of Lenten penance in which we are called to “ascend ‘a high mountain’ in the company of Jesus.” Like the disciples who were led by the Master to Mount Tabor, we will not be alone on this uphill journey, but in the company of our brothers and sisters. This is why, Pope Francis reminds us, our Lenten path is a synodal journey.

Throughout Lent, the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development will relaunch weekly the contents of this message, to offer churches around the world help in living their Lenten Transfiguration journey practically. Using the allegory of the journey as a mountain trek, the pope proposes a path of Lenten reflection that might, step by step, accompany us to the summit of the mountain and “help us to understand better God’s will and our mission in the service of his kingdom.” The weekly content can be downloaded through #Lent2023 on Twitter and Instagram.

Pope Francis’ Lenten message reminds us that during our Lenten synodal trek,” the Lord speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, especially in the faces and the stories of those who are in need.” Similarly, Bishop Larry Silva’s 2023 CRS Rice Bowl letter calls us to encounter Christ with others this Lent. “I strongly encourage all to participate in the CRS Lenten Rice Bowl journey to come closer to God and witness to Jesus by responding to Christ’s call to help our sisters and brothers in need.”

CRS Rice Bowl provides faces and stories of others in need and how their journey transforms vulnerability into hope.

Hope in Honduras

The first CRS Rice Bowl Lenten “Story of Hope” this year is from the mountainous regions of Honduras. The changing climate has had an impact there, but farmers are learning new techniques to water their crops, protect the natural resources and keep their families healthy. Rony lives with his wife Reina and their two sons, Emilson, 14, and Maynor, 9, about two hours from Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. Rony grows corn, beans and bananas. But it’s hard to get good harvests in the “dry corridor” — an area impacted by high temperatures and lack of rain.

Droughts have become more frequent and floods from the few stronger storms more damaging. Rony participated in a Catholic Relief Services project, which helped him repair an old reservoir and install a low-cost irrigation system with pipes and hoses that use very little water to grow his crops. He also learned to let the harvest residue rot in place — instead of burning the land — because the residue becomes the soil’s fertilizer.

Thanks to the watering system and his new skills, Rony can harvest his crops even when it doesn’t rain. His produce and income are now enough to feed his family and help people in his community. Today, Rony has become an advocate for caring for the environment.

“I have learned a lot about how to take care of, value and protect the natural resources that the Lord has given us, such as water,” he says. “That’s the best way to guarantee the lives of our families and the animals.”

For more on how you can join Rony, Reina, Emilson, Maynor and other brothers and sisters in Honduras, the Philippines and Kenya during your Lenten Journey, please visit crsricebowl.org For Bishop Larry Silva’s 2023 Rice Bowl Letter, please visit our website, officeforsocialministry.org.

Mahalo,

Your friends from the Office of Social Ministry

Recipe from Honduras

As part of the Lenten journey with others in need, CRS Rice Bowl provides us meatless recipes from the countries where the families in this year’s stories of hope live. Rice Bowl encourages all to give the money saved each week by not eating meat — about $3 per person — to the CRS Rice Bowl to feed those in need around the world. Here is the Rice Bowl recipe from Honduras, which includes beans such as those that Rony, Reina, Emilson, Maynor and many, many more grow and eat.

Bean Soup with Chayote Squash and Rice

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 15-oz cans of red beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups of water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 yellow chili, seeded and minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes with the juice of 1 lime
• 2 chayote squashes, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes, or summer squashes
• Fresh cilantro
• 4 cups of cooked white rice
• Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic in oil until translucent. Add beans, water and bouillon, and heat thoroughly. Add yellow chili, jalapeno, tomatoes, lime juice and chayote, and simmer on low for about an hour. Add cilantro. Serves 4-6.

For other CRS Lenten Rice Bowl meatless recipes please visit crsricebowl.org.