In the Season of Lent, the Catholic Church in Kenya is focusing the 2019 Lenten Campaign on the theme "Uniting, Healing and Renewal of our Nation…God’s Gift." The campaign is sponsored by the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Download the 2019 Lenten Campaign Book, available in Swahili and English HERE.
From the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops:
In the Christian tradition, this is the period in the liturgical calendar from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday (Sundown). This annual commemoration prepares the faithful through prayer, repentance, giving alms and self-denial. The event is linked to the Passion of Christ and the celebration of his Resurrection. It is also in this liturgical period that catechumens are baptised on Easter.
Why 40 days? The number 40 is important in the life of Christians. Moses and the Israelites, for example, wandered in the desert for 40 years as they prepared to go to the Promised Land. Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights without eating or drinking water, where he had gone to receive the tablets of the Covenant God made with the Israelites. In the time of Noah, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Horeb without food. In the New Testament, Jesus was led to the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.
Why the Kenya Lenten Campaign? In the spiritual mood of Lent, the Catholic Church in Kenya felt the need to inform the public of the problems affecting society and advocate for change. Through the Lenten Campaign, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops call for all Christians and people of goodwill to join them in addressing these problems and advocate for change. By joining the bishops in advocacy, individual efforts, our small voices become much louder and each individual’s action is multiplied.