The Catholic Church today marks the start of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and penance that prepares believers for the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is a period of time during which the Church urges Catholics to make sacrifices, small as they may be, as an act of repentance.

The times we are living today are not the same as what used to be long ago.

These days, Catholics are asked to fast and not consume meat on Ash Wednesday - today - and Good Friday, the day when the Church commemorates the Death of Jesus Christ. In the past, Catholics were urged to fast and not consume meat on all Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent. Some went to the extreme and did not eat meat all through Lent.

Although the influence of religion has dramatically withered over the past decades, many still make sacrifices during this time. Some may choose to deprive themselves of something they like to consume, such as chocolates and sweets. Or maybe cut down on coffee, fizzy drinks and snacks - which, it must be said, should not be just something to do during Lent, but during the whole year, given that such habits are unhealthy.

There are the "religious" things one can do, such as pray, or read excerpts from the Bible. Or stop swearing and using vulgar language.

But there are other ways through which one can do that little something extra at this time of the year.

Why not, for example, "abstain" from the social media or, if one really cannot do without the scrolling, reduce the time that one spends on Facebook, Instagram and the rest. One should certainly "abstain" from uploading hurtful comments or posts that can cause more harm than good (and this should not just be during Lent).

Or else, instead of "fasting" or renouncing to food or drink that we enjoy, do some shopping for someone who is finding it hard to make ends meet. If you can't afford this, maybe you could find things in the home you no longer need or use and give them to someone who would find them more useful. There are various places where one can dispose of unwanted clothes, for example.

Other things we can do is reach out to a relative or friend with whom we have lost contact, or spend some time with a neighour who we know has no-one to exchange a word with. Smile more often, and help a colleague who is under some kind of pressure rather than surf the internet in your downtime while at the office. And think it over twice before your next road rage episode - calm down and wave politely instead of hooting your horn and make rude gestures. Instead of gossiping, try to spare a kind word to someone who requires some assistance.

In other words, do a good deed. While renouncing to food or drink items is in itself positive, it is even better if your "sacrifice" is doing something for others, rather than for yourself.