Lenten Activities for Reflection & Renewal

CHURCH OF ST. ANTHONY, TELUK INTAN

THE SEDER MEAL EXPERIENCE

By Marie Ann Dawson, EC 

The Catholic Church of St Anthony in Teluk Intan experienced a gentle, educational touch in Lent this April 2026 with a Seder-style meal designed especially for children. The parish transformed the hall into a warm, communal space where familiar rituals became hands-on lessons about faith, memory, and gratitude. Long tables held simple but symbolically rich elements—bitter herbs for hardship, matzah (flatbread) for haste and humility, a bowl of salt water for tears—each item introduced with a child-friendly explanation that connected the Passover tradition to the Lenten journey of reflection.

Children moved from station to station, tasting a small piece of matzah, dipping it into salt water, and asking curious, earnest questions as evangelizing catechists and volunteers guided them. The atmosphere balanced reverence with lively participation: a youngster tracing the rim of a Kiddush cup, another whispering to a friend about the story of liberation. Parents noted how the tactile experiences made abstract themes—sacrifice, freedom, hope—accessible and memorable.

This Seder Meal did not aim to replicate a full Jewish ritual but to honour its symbols in a Christian Lenten context, fostering inter-religious awareness and deepening the children’s grasp of their own season of preparation. The event left small faces thoughtful and the community quietly renewed.

A PASSION PLAY BY THE CATECHISM CHILDREN & YOUTH

By Mariaselvam, Catechism Coordinator

During Lent this April 2026, the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Kulim drew the whole community into the heart of Holy Week by staging a moving Passion Play performed by catechism children and the youth. This Passion Play was an enactment of Christ’s final hours, beginning from the Last Supper through to the Crucifixion and ending with the Resurrection. It served both as a form of catechesis and that of a communal prayer. Simple costumes with earnest acting and carefully narrated scenes, made the Gospel accessible without diminishing its solemnity.

For the children, the preparation for this performance was truly informative. Through rehearsals they learned scripture passages, reflected on Christ’s sacrifice, and practiced gestures of reverence and compassion. Youth leaders who mentored them guided the young performers to express grief, hope, and forgiveness in ways that that were equal in expression to older peers and even elders.

Parishioners responded with quiet attentiveness. Many remarked on the authenticity and sincerity that the youth brought to familiar scenes. Older parishioners found the portrayals renewing, while families felt a deepened connection to the liturgical season. After the final scene, there was a shared moment of silence and prayer. This experience made Lent more tangible and left the parish renewed by the faithful witnesses of its young people.