Lent: Xt3's LENT QUIZ

1. Lent is coming around fast and you need to think about what you’re going to give up. What do you decide?
a) To give up nice clothes/make up/hair gel – vanity is one of my biggest flaws.
b) Pick something hard – you know the grace that will come from your suffering.
c) You’re enthusiastic about the chance to show God your love for Him and are ready to give up anything and everything.
d) You pray and fast so that God will aid you in your decision.
e) You give up your creature comforts. You know you can do without them and God will help you through it.

2. Lent is here but you’ve been invited to a party. What do you do?
a) You go but worry about what you’re going to wear – it has to look good but without drawing attention to you.
b) You have to go – you’re the peacemaker who can stop any arguments that break out.
c) Try to persuade your parents that you’re not too young to go.
d) Pray about it before you decide to go or not.
e) Decline the invitation. You’d love to go but you know that there are better things you could be doing with your time.

3. It’s the middle of Lent and you’ve been fasting for several weeks. How are you finding it?
a) It’s a struggle but you know God is still there helping you and this spurs you on to help others with their fasting too.
b) You bear your cross patiently.
c) It’s hard but you can’t help but find joy in the fruits it bears.
d) You’re throwing your whole self into the task, using the time to perform charitable acts on top of your fasting.
e)  You remain friendly and calm, even though those around you can’t understand your reasons for fasting.

4. Your non-Christian friends ask you about your fast. What do you tell them?
a) You tell them it’s hard and that you often fall but that God really appreciates the effort.
b) You do all you can to encourage them to do the same.
c) You explain with enthusiasm how much God loves us and how much joy comes from any suffering.
d) You say a quick prayer and ask God to speak through you so you can give your best possible answer.
e) You answer coolly and calmly, loyal to your faith in God, and ignore any laughing or jokes at your expense.

5. It’s Good Friday and your friends suggest going out for a nice meal. What do you say?
a) You offer to cook them something simple instead so they won’t be tempted to go out.
b) You try to solve the situation peacefully and encourage them to bear their cross for a few more days.
c) You try to explain your thoughts, though without much hope of being listened to.
d) You consider the situation thoroughly and pray carefully before you answer.
e) You cheerfully decline, refusing to give into temptation.

Your answers are:
Mostly As: You’re Latin American!
You’re most like St Rose of Lima, the Patron Saint of Latin America. St Rose was very beautiful but was also very humble about it, not wanting to show off her beauty the way her mother wished her to. She didn’t want to be admired & worried she would tempt others when all she really wanted was to be with Jesus. On one occasion she rubbed her face with pepper until it was red & blistered so that she would not seem attractive.  She refused her parents when they tried to get her to marry; instead, desiring to give her whole self to Jesus, she remained a virgin. Rose was often tempted by the devil & she often felt sad & lonely, but she always knew that however far away God seemed, He was always there beside her & she cheerfully offered up her suffering. She would pray: “Lord, increase my sufferings, & with them increase Your love in my heart.”

Mostly Bs: You’re Czech!
With mostly Bs, you are like St John Nepomucene, one of the patrons of the Czech Republic. John was cured of a disease at an early age thanks to the prayers of his parents who, in thanksgiving, consecrated him to the service of God. John became a priest & was known for his great preaching. He was invited to the court of Wenceslaus IV where he settled many arguments & cared for the less fortunate in the city. He later became the Queen’s confessor, encouraging her to bear her cross patiently while the King was cruel to her. One day the King asked Fr John what the Queen had said in confession. When Fr John refused, he was thrown into prison. When the King asked a second time, he tried enticing John with promises of riches & great honour.  Still Fr John refused; as punishment he was thrown into the river & drowned. In the Czech Republic, St John Nepomucene is invoked against floods & against slander.

Mostly Cs: You’re French!
You are most like 2 of France’s patrons & great saints: Joan of Arc & Therese of Lisieux. Both Joan & Therese faced opposition because of their youth – Therese suffered while she waited for her Bishop to consider her old enough to join the convent & Joan came across opposition when, at the command of St Michael, St Catherine & St Margaret, she tried to help the King of France re-conquer his kingdom (the King of England was after his throne). Aged just 17, Joan overcame the opposition & was given a small army which enjoyed several spectacular successes. However, when she was captured by the Burgundians & sold to the English, France did not come to her aid. At 19 she was burned as a heretic, after being trapped into making statements about her visions of the saints that damaged her reputation – a trap she fell into due to her age & peasant background. Therese meanwhile is well known for her ‘Little Way’, for her understanding of the importance of the little things we give to God. She died aged just 24. Her child-like faith had such depth that she was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II.

Mostly Ds: You’re Italian!
With mostly Ds, you’re a lot like St Bernadine of Siena, one of Italy’s patron saints. St Bernadine was born to a noble family but was orphaned at the age of 7. He was very pious & didn’t like to hear indecent talk, which caused him to blush so much that even his classmates at school didn’t try to make him uncomfortable. Aged 20, he came to the largest hospital in Siena to offer his help during a particularly nasty plague. He stayed for 4 months, working day & night. He fell ill himself at the end of the plague.  Once recovered, he took care of his aunt for 14 months. When she died, wondering what he should do with his life, he prayed & fasted to discover God’s intentions for him. In 1403 he joined the Franciscans & was ordained a priest a year later. He couldn’t preach very much because his voice was weak, so he put all his energy into prayer. 12 years later he was in Milan on a mission & on getting up to preach, realised his voice was strong.  His preaching was very popular with the crowd & he began a missionary life, crossing Italy on foot & preaching for hours at a time.

Mostly Es: You’re Polish!
You’re like St Casimir, the patron saint of Poland. Casimir was a prince of Poland, the 2nd son of King Casimir IV & Elizabeth of Austria. Though his life was often arranged to suit his father’s political agenda, Casimir realised at an early age that his life belonged to God. Casimir found that the riches surrounding him tempted him to forget his faith & so he took to doing things like wearing plain clothes. He spent many nights in prayer & the nights he did sleep, he slept on the floor. Despite opposition to his choices from those around him, Casimir always remained friendly & calm. One day King Casimir IV sent him out as head of an army to take over the throne of Hungary. Casimir didn’t want to go but felt obligated to out of obedience to his father.  En route, the soldiers started to desert so Casimir used this as an excuse to go back home. His father was furious & banished him to a castle where he was imprisoned, but this only made Casimir’s faith stronger.  He continued to pray, study & help the poor until he died at the age of 23.

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