Lent calls us to prayer, fasting and almsgiving - three pillars that draw us closer to God and to one another. The Big Lent Walk weaves all three together in one powerful act of solidarity. Jenny, from Plymouth, talks about how she takes on the Big Lent Walk every year to fulfil her Lenten duty.
Jenny and her son, Xavier, take on the Big Lent Walk together
The Jubilee Year formally ended earlier this year when Pope Leo closed the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica. The virtues celebrated during Jubilee – faith, hope and love - are what draw me back to the Big Lent Walk.
For me, Lent is when I focus on being very intentional about my faith – on acting in hope and in practicing concrete acts of love – as Pope Leo calls us to do.
I look forward to getting my instructions in my parish priest’s homily at Ash Wednesday Mass – to observe the three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving during Lent – to help me grow closer to God.
I sign up for Lent reflection guides from all over the world, so I get daily reminders to pray at the beginning of the day in several time zones. I check out what my favourite Catholic influencers are saying about Lenten commitments on Instagram.
I think about what I should give and to whom and what I should give up or fast from – and yes, it’s usually chocolate.
The Big Lent Walk helps me observe those three pillars of Lent every day.
Jenny and Xavier at their local parish church
The discipline of walking every day – alone, or with family or fellow parishioners - helps me pray, to find God’s presence in nature during the day or in looking for the light at night.
Choosing to walk is also a kind of fasting. It asks something of me – to give up my time. And asking my friends and family to sponsor me – to help me give alms during Lent - is a way to spread the word that we can all do something to build a better world.
Being a part of the Big Lent Walk Community Facebook group, Strava club and WhatsApp channel is an added blessing. People share photos of muddy paths and sunrise walks, encouraging each other through sore knees and rainy days. I love chatting daily with a community of people who have the same purpose in walking - to love our neighbours as ourselves.
I do the Big Lent Walk because it brings faith, hope and love into motion. And it reminds me that working for a better world isn’t something any of us can do alone — it takes all of us.
Join the Big Lent Walk
Sign up for CAFOD’s Big Lent Walk and challenge yourself to walk 200km in 40 days. You can sign up as an individual, parish or school!