Sr Sheila Kelleher 
The pandemic has given many people the opportunity to reflect and think about the meaning of their lives which is a perfect jumping off point for the Lenten period, according to a Cork-based presentation sister.
Former Provincial Sr Sheila Kelleher said: “I have heard people say that despite the difficulty of lockdown it has benefited them in the sense that they have realised now that the race they were part of, the rat race, is really not what life is about and that it’s passing them by, for that reason I think people are in a better place this year to buy-in to Lent because Covid has slowed them down.”
People often misunderstand the meaning of Lent, she said, which has led to the belief that it is just about giving things up – giving it negative connotations. For her, it’s about building a “better relationship with myself, with God and with the people around me”.
She adds: “I think for some people Lent will have changed them forever because of the time and the reflection. For other people it has been very, very difficult because if you’re working from home, the house has turned into an office, children are being taught from home, the kitchens I’ve seen in some houses have been turned into classrooms, that’s not easy and those parents get very little time to reflect because life is maybe as busy or busier, but I think overall Lent will mean something very different to most people this year.”
Read more: Keeping hope and preparing for a Lent like no other
