Yearly we embark on this spiritual journey
of the Lenten Season. It is a full-time spiritual experience of 40 days, in
which we as Christians are called to be sincerely conscious of who we are
before God, for the rediscovery of our identity. This, as a matter of fact,
will not only enable us but propel us to embark on the journey of conversion
and return back to God, in the manner of the prodigal son (cf. Lk. 15:11-32).
It is true that God’s grace and mercy are
always available for us, but this is a “kairotic” moment, a moment of grace.
Indeed, it is God’s time flowing in the ordinary flux of time. Therefore, to
make the best out of this gracious moment, we are called to repudiate all forms
of idols that offuscate our vision and knowledge of the True God, and above
all, a moment to grab the infinite and unfathomable mercy of God.
The event of Ash Wednesday marks the
beginning of the kairotic period: Lent. The event of this day is characterized
by the imposition od ashes on the forehead of Christians, which reminds us of
who we are, what we are called to do and where we are heading to. For this, the
liturgical act of the imposition of the ashes the Priest says: “Repent, and
believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall
return”. Ash is a symbol of purification, penitence and repentance. On the
other hand, it points to the reality of our mortal bodies after death, for it
decomposes and returns back to clay. Interestingly, ash reminds us of the
burning fire that goes down, so is our existential experience.
These 40 days we are invited to begin or
initiate a journey of perfectibility, and not that of perfection, for
conversion does not occur once and for all. Instead, it has do to with a
dynamism that has to be renewed daily. Today, the word CHANGE is so much in
vogue especially in the political sector, but change as envisaged during this
period is a real and authentic one. It is an invitation for a CHANGE of mind
and heart, a change of behavior and attitude, a change of personal life. Little
wonder, according Fulton Sheen the most important verse in the Bible is Mark
1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand”. Repent
and believe the gospel”. We are called to change ourselves because the kingdom
of God is near. This is the most important because Jesus preferred to begin his
ministry with a clarion call to a CHANGE of life, and not with the
manifestation of miracles. The change in our life must start with the change of
heart. Little wonder Prophet Joel is inviting us in the first reading thus “tear
your hearts and not your garments” (cf. Joel 2:12-18). Secondly, this change
must be translated into actions: prayer, fasting and alms giving, and I would
like to add: a journey of PERFECTIBILITY, trying to become better than who we
were yesterday, one step at a time!
It is against the above backdrop that we
may affirm that Lent is a time of our Christian self-rediscovery that is the
rediscovery of the truth about oneself in Christ. It is not necessarily only a
moment of penitence, a moment of mortification. For this, Jesus decried that
even the hypocrites fast and do charity as well (cf. Mt. 6:1-6.16-18). Indeed,
it is above all, a period of rediscovering oneself in Christ.
Historically, one may not be wrong to say,
that during this season there is a desire to relive and re-actualize the 40
years of the Israelites in the desert, as such leading Christians to the
knowledge of themselves before God, just as the Israelites were led to the
knowledge their real identity as a people before God. And the knowledge in question
comes through the w(W)ord of God. It equally reminds us of the 40 days that
Jesus spent in the desert, when and where he was tempted by the Devil. But in
that episode Jesus won the tempter, the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10).
He won the Devil with the power of God’s word (cf. Mt. 4:1-11). Be that as it
may, the struggle and victorious fight of Jesus in the desert becomes an
example and inspiration for us, to fight and combat against all that threaten
our journey of full and self- realization as God’s children.
Beloved in Christ, at the heart of Lent
resounds the old and ever new traditional dictum of “bonum faciendum et malum vitadum”, (that is doing good and avoiding
evil). Above all, it is upon this consciousness that prophet Joel invited us in
the first reading to “tear our hearts and not our garments”, because the
journey we are called to embark on, is more of an internal work. St. Mathew on
his part, calls our attention to authentic Christian living. And lastly, St.
Paul hits on the nail on the head as he affirms vigorously that “behold, now is
the acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2Cor. 6:2). May God
help us in the efforts we make to become better this Lenten period! Amen!
Wishing all an authentic and life transforming Lenten experience.
(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)
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