LENT

            The Holy Mother Church believes that she should celebrate the saving work of Her divine spouse in a sacred commemoration for a period in the course of the year. One such sacred commemoration is lent which is fast approaching. Lent reaches its climax after forty days on Easter Sunday which is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The Holy Mother Church gifts us forty days of lent where one is called to practice fasting, penance and almsgiving in preparation for the feast of Easter.

            Today the average life span is 60 – 80 years. It would be a wise thing to set aside forty days of a year and figure out God’s merciful love towards us that He chooses to die for us just to open the gates of heaven for us. In the Bible it’s quite clear that God considered forty days as spiritually significant time for transformation in ones life.

v  Noah in the ark during the  forty days of rain

v  Moses on Mount Sinai for forty days.

v  The city of Nineveh gave up its evil ways after forty days were given to them to repent.

v  Jesus was strengthened for forty days in the desert before He began his ministry.

v  The disciples were transformed after spending forty days with Jesus after His resurrection.

            These forty days of lent are days of grace and if one takes it seriously there will surely be change and one will surely be transformed into a new person.

            Most of the cars have a GPS app. What is its purpose? It’s to guide when one has lost the way and it helps to bring the person on the right track. This special season of lent is just like this GPS. We are people who have lost our path and this season of lent helps us to come back on the right path. Lent helps us to realize our wrong doings and to reconcile and return to the lord who is waiting with His arms wide open to receive us back into His embrace. Lent is the best time to introspect, reflect and contemplate.

             Pope Francis has declared this year as the jubilee year of mercy which is quite apt. The season of lent calls us to be merciful towards others and to receive mercy from others; it’s all about forgiving, loving, caring, helping, etc of what value is it if a person does things for the sake without putting himself/herself into the particular work? I can assume being merciful, forgiving, loving, caring will not be easy and simple; it will surely be tough. But we can follow the footsteps of Jesus and imitate His example like Him.

            How am I going to spend my lent this time? Will it just be another lent like the previous year, or will there be a change?

            We always feel that lent is a time of being sad, gloomy, doing a lot of penance, etc. but it’s not so. It’s a time to move out of the muck, have a wash and wear new clothes. It’s a season to change and move on and start again on a new leaf. God is waiting with arms wide open. It’s just our effort with a clear heart and true repentance which will give us the happiness of lent.